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McGuinness confirms he discussed Mountbatten murder with Queen Elizabeth

IRA atrocity in Sligo was discussed after historic handshake

PATRICK COUNIHAN,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Monday, July 2, 2012, 7:36 AM

Updated Monday, July 2, 2012, 7:39 AM

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Queen Elizabeth shakes hands with Northern Ireland deputy first minister Martin McGuinness at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast

Photo by Paul Faith/PA Wire

Sinn Fein leader Martin McGuinness has confirmed he discussed the IRA murder of Lord Mountbatten during his meeting with the Queen of England.

Former IRA man McGuinness shook hands with the Queen during their historic conversation in Belfast last week.

The meeting allowed the pair to discuss the 1979 IRA atrocity which killed Lord Mountbatten, cousin of the Queen, and three others in Sligo during the troubles.

He has confirmed that he told Queen Elizabeth that he recognised her family was directly affected by the Troubles in the IRA killing of Lord Mountbatten.

McGuinness said: “I head-on addressed this issue with the queen and Prince Philip when I said to them that I recognised that they too had lost a loved one.

“I did not shy away from the issue because I think these are things that have to be faced up to.

“There is nothing glamorous or glorious or great about war – war is absolutely terrible.

“I regret the loss of every single life, including the loss of British soldiers and those who were close to the Queen of England.

“I will not disclose her specific response but she was absolutely understanding of the need for everybody to work together to ensure we don’t go back to the past so that we can continue to move forward – she was very gracious about it.”

Asked in an Irish television interview about the issue of remorse, McGuinness referred to the history of his native Derry in the Troubles.

“The city was under occupation by British soldiers and at the time, nationalists suffered discrimination, domination and injustice,” he said.

He added, “You ask me the question, was it worth it? And all that happened, and all the loss of life, whether they were IRA volunteers, British soldiers, RUC (members), innocent civilians . . . how could I say it’s worth it?

“These were circumstances that were beyond my control as a 21-year-old.”

Referring again to his meeting with the British monarch, McGuinness admitted the Queen was ‘very nice’.

The Irish Times reports that he added, “But I don’t think that surprises people considering the way she conducted herself during her visit to the Republic last year, and her acknowledgement that all sides suffered in the conflict.”

Nster.com

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IrelandNorth | Jul 04, 2012, 08:45 AM EDT

Since monarchs of whatever race or nationality are not elected by popular suffrage, no democratic franchise can be inferred, or subjectivity imposed. I doubt if current British subjects, not least Scottish nationalists, took ex-Ugandan megalomaniacal dictator General Idid Amin Dada's claim to be the Last King of Scotland complimentarily. Alas, the current British monarch is markedly more progressive, in what I believe to be Her crowning(?) desire to ameliorate the plantatory faux pas of Her nominal predecessor by departitioning Ireland - albeit within Her Commonwealth of Nations. Whilst one readily appreciates the potent unconscious motif of a national maternal figurehead, there comes a time when we all must stop hiding behind apron strings and leave home. Pity some posters from Her neo-provincial statlet can't follow Her example by respecting their democratically elected Deputy First Minister. I fear their reknowned siege mentality is obscuring their judgement, and subverting the peace process She ardently desires.

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seamus60 | Jul 04, 2012, 08:26 AM EDT

There we are again folks. Martin has had nothing to do with the RA since he was 21. Even though he was dishing out RA orders to myself and many others in Derry well into the 90`s. Would he make us all out to be liars in any such truth commission he and Gerry say they seek.

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Towngate | Jul 03, 2012, 05:58 AM EDT

MURPH46... thank you for your response. Your opinion is based on your lack of knowledge of any beneficial effect my 'bigotry' has had directly on the Peace Process. We will just have to agree that my bigotry is different to your bigotry and leave it at that,shall we?! ~~~~~~~ As for being cowardly; nobody has ever accused me of that,and if you knew anything about me, neither would you! (and a Private apology for a Public insult would not be accepted!) However,if you want a definition of cowardice and delusion,please take time to read the Full Text of McGuinness's shockingly pathetic 'speech' in Westminster. Claiming among many other non-sensical assertions, that he, sweating, stood dutifully in line and shook hands with his Queen - for the sake of the Protestant community! The clown is clearly slipping on his lost marbles and has fallen off his rocker! ~ Keynote Speech? naw...Keystone, (last reel!) more like! ~~~~~ If he'd had the wit to claim it was his duty and honour to do so on behalf of the entire population of her Province, we might have seen a hint of the Statesmanship required. - But no! Read the speech properly, and you will see you have a much bigger and still dangerous Bigot to add to your list. This one is currently in Office by the grace of Her Majesty's loyal subject voters of all religions!

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Stiofain | Jul 02, 2012, 08:54 PM EDT

sirpeter,correct.

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canadianirish | Jul 02, 2012, 07:43 PM EDT

@Rebelforce, you took the words right out of my mouth!

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Rebelforce | Jul 02, 2012, 07:30 PM EDT

I wonder if the queen brought up the murders of the civil rights demonstrators in Derry on Bloody Sunday or the Catholic children murdered by British rubber bullets on the streets of norn iron?

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barneyjo | Jul 02, 2012, 07:20 PM EDT

@bythebay - Maybe so, but he is still joint Chief Executive of the administration that Governs us all, even you :)

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sirpeter | Jul 02, 2012, 07:16 PM EDT

@Morestupidbytheday.What do you do when the political process refuses to listen?March and protest?What do you do when you march and protest and you are bludgeoned and shot?

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Bythebay | Jul 02, 2012, 06:19 PM EDT

It was NOT war, it was McGuinness and his ilk's terrorism on the government and people of Northern Ireland which he also perpetrated in Ireland and England upon innocent civilians. 3,700 pointless and useless deaths because McGuinness and his cohorts ignored the political process.

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aloistmartin | Jul 02, 2012, 05:57 PM EDT

Martin McGuinness is no longer a Hooded Revolutionary @?..! Mcguinness`s "Re-Making" of Republican History, will soon become so Palatable, you could feed it to "Londonderry" School Children !

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sirpeter | Jul 02, 2012, 05:46 PM EDT

Creakygate.I hate to disappoint you but he did not apologise.He said he regrets the loss of every single life including the loss of British soldiers and those who were close to the Queen of England.To apologise is to admit you were wrong.You can regret having to do something but still feel you were correct in doing it.Martin McGuinness has never apologised for the IRA campaign in NI.He regretted it.But that's not an apology.I hope he did apologise to her in a personal capacity as that would be the right thing to do in a one to one situation.But war is war and if somebody has to die as a result of war,it's the Lord Mountbatten's of the world should top the list.We'd have alot less war then wouldn't we.

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Murph46 | Jul 02, 2012, 04:35 PM EDT

Towngate it is your bigotry that will stop true peace,McGuinness went out of his way to bring it up,saying it is cowardly is cowardly itself!

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Bythebay | Jul 02, 2012, 03:39 PM EDT

pilib04, speak for yourself. McGuinness is despised for his unbridled terrorism, self-aggrandizement, he's an opportunist who's overly paid, ignorant and constantly seeking press coverage. The Queen's visit to Northern Ireland for her Jubilee, her own country, is neither the time nor the place to bring up his murdering her cousin. He's a disgrace to the name Irish. Two bit murderer who never completed primary school. Her title is NOT Queen of England. It's Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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Bythebay | Jul 02, 2012, 03:29 PM EDT

slainte9, NO soldiers were occupying Ireland.

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slainte9 | Jul 02, 2012, 01:44 PM EDT

Remarkable that some British still want to be the victims here. Help me with this: whose soldiers were occupying Ireland? Who enacted and enforced the proto-Apartheid Penal Laws that segregated and marginalized the Catholic peasantry? Who was in charge and did very little while 1,000,000 people starved to death?

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