In my time is Ulster he was hailed as a God among the Unionist community. He was scary. I only ever saw him once from a distance, the crowd that gathered to listen to him that day seemed mesmerised by him. Nobody could spread paranoia and hatred like him. Often he washed his hands when some of his audience became over-excited. Many loyalist paramilitaries have said they would never have become involved in violence had they not been inspired by the inflammatory rhetoric of Ian Paisley to counter the twin enemies of Rome and the Republic of Ireland.


The P,I.R.A. saw Paisley as one of their best recruiting sergeants. The Provo's murdered a few moderate unionist politicians, but they never even made an attempt on Paisley, he was more valuable alive.


Hard to believe Gordon Brown once said "Ian Paisley has made a huge contribution to political life in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom," most of that contribution was malign. He must have forgot that for more than four decades, this roaring bigot played a vital part in fomenting sectarianism in Northern Ireland. Hard to believe they elevated him and his wife to the House of Lords.


Shed no tears for Ian Paisley. He did what he did for Paisley. Not for peace.