Let us not forget he was in prison at the time, and whilst he had every right to stage a hunger strike, the cost of nursing him was borne by those he seeked out to destroy, by force.

He was born into a western democracy which has a past to be ashamed of, but that is no reason to try by force which cannot be sorted by the ballot.

As a believer in democracy, and accepting the majority of people living in Northern Ireland did not wish to be governed by Dublin, I find it hard to feel compassion for terrorists.

A misguided romantic fool is about the best I could ever muster.