Martin McGuinness

born James Martin Pacelli McGuinness, came into this world on 23rd May 1950. He was a Sinn Fein politician, who like many others in this category, steered clear of participating in the Westminster parliament. Other seats he served during his career include provisional IRA leader, Mid Ulster Member of Parliament and minister of education in the Northern Ireland Executive.

Political career

Many people recognize him as being an Irish Republican who worked his way to being the deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, a seat he occupied from May 2007 to January 2017. He resigned in protest to a scandal involving a renewable heat incentive. He later announced weeks after his resignation that he would not be contesting a parliamentary seat, owing to poor health.

Health issues

McGuinness took ill in late 2016, and his doctors advised him against making international trips at the time. He was insistent on keeping his condition private and termed his lack of traveling as being due to unforeseen circumstances. He underwent many tests which revealed that he was suffering from a grave disease, details of which he refused to share with the media.

One media outlet, The Irish Times, however, went on to publish that he was suffering from amyloidosis, something which McGuinness did not take kindly, citing a breach of privacy. Amyloidosis affects the organs and is a rare disease with no cure. The condition progressed over time leading to his hospitalization on 6th March 2017 at the Derry's Altnagelvin Area Hospital. Fifteen days later, he passed on at the age of sixty-six.

Personal life

McGuinness' middle name was after Pope Pius XII. He attended the Christian Brothers Technical College and decided to leave school at the age of fifteen. He later met Bernadette Caning with whom he had four children.

As a child, McGuinness has a keen interest in sports, a hobby he pursued even in his old age by cheering on football, cricket, and hurling teams. One of his favorite sports teams was Manchester United.

Martin McGuinness lived a full life and was able to impact many lives during his career. It is not for naught that many grieve him to this day. May he rest in peace.

Martin's Political Journey

Campaign News & Photos

Vote for Change - Vote Martin McGuinness No.1

Martin McGuinness delivers his final message of the campaign and urges people to come out and support his vision for a new Ireland - a new republic that puts the people of Ireland first.
Martin McGuinness Presidential Broadcast

Martin McGuinness's Presidential broadcast will be aired on RTE television on Saturday 22nd October and again on Tuesday 25th October after both the Six-One and the 9 O'Clock News.
Watch 'Live' Recording of Mansion House Rally for Martin

Watch 'Live' Recording of Mansion House Rally for Martin on our campaign Facebook page. The event was hosted by actor Colm Meaney and included music from harpist Emer Kenny, Colm 'Q' Quearney, Eoin Dillion on uileann pipes, Graham Watson on guitar.

Thousands Take Part In Charity Walk In Memory Of Martin McGuinness

It is not often that charity walks manage to bring together thousands of participants willing to support a cause and it was, therefore, wondrous to see crowds of thousands attending a walk in honor of Martin McGuinness. Martin passed on in March 2017 and a year on; people are still grieving him. The charity walk, put together by his family, was a way to raise money for the cancer care department as well as research in the North West.

Given the reception from the participants, people could already gauge that the walk would raise tens of thousands of pounds from the moment the event kicked off. The spirits were as high as the number of people gathered for the activity, and the success was in the air long before people begun the march.

Martin McGuinness A Lifelong Supporter Of Derry

Martin McGuinness went to great lengths to support the Derry City Football Club during his life, and as such, his passing was a huge blow to the team. So great was his connection to the team that they would call on him when things went south. One such instance was during the European Cup Clash back in 1989. The organizers woke up to an explosive device in the cemetery next to the stadium and of the few people alerted about the scare was Martin, thus showing their deep respect for this renowned politician. He had commented on the incident back in 2001 when speaking to a sports magazine about bizarre events in the sports world.

Martin McGuinness: I Brought Ulster Luck In The '99 Euro Final

Growing up, Martin McGuinness played Gaelic football, soccer and hurling alongside his brothers Tom and Paul. Admittedly, they did better at sports than he did but he was able to hold his own when playing keeper and eventually won the double with Arntz Belting Company in Derry.

Aside from playing sports, he also had an interest in cheering on sports teams during his free time. His love for Manchester United started at the tender age of eight, around the time of the Munich Air Crash. Seeing the loss surrounding the crash as well as the solidarity which the team showed, he instantly felt a connection to the team members and joined many other people who felt similarly. He also showed support for Derry City and Derry GAA teams.

Martin Mcguinness Set To Attend First Northern Ireland Game At Euro 2016 Finals In France

Confirmation reports are in circulation citing that Martin McGuinness will attend Northern Ireland’s final Euro 2016 group game against Germany. The confirmation has elicited a lot of reactions given that this is the first time that the republican will attend a Northern Ireland game. Back in the year 2012, he was at Windsor Park watching Derry City take on Linfield during the Setanta Cup. Martin’s love for Derry City is Ireland’s worst kept secret, and so is his passion for the sport. As Martin watched the game, he responded to some interviewers stating that he had first been to the stadium five decades before the event where he got to witness the beating of Glentoran by the Candystripes. This match had taken place during the Irish Cup Finals.