McGuinness 'ready to watch' NI team

Published Tuesday, 31 January 2012
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Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness has told UTV he's willing to go to a Northern Ireland football match, in a bid to reciprocate the gesture made by DUP leader Peter Robinson in attending a GAA game.

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    Reaching out
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    Analysis

"It would present no difficulty for me whatsoever - I probably would know more about soccer than Peter would know about Gaelic football," the deputy First Minister said.

It's a claim that Mr Robinson may not be able to dispute, having admitted he might not have caught "all the finer points of the game" when he attended Saturday's McKenna Cup final.

I've always said I'll support anybody wearing a green jersey.

Martin McGuinness

But in travelling to Armagh for the clash between Derry and Tyrone, he did become the first DUP leader to go to a GAA match - a step branded "a little bit of history" by Mr McGuinness.

"All of us recognise that people do look at these situations and they make judgements about your broad-mindedness, your openness and your willingness to reach out ..." the Sinn Féin politician said.

"On the basis of whether or not you're prepared to show people in our entire community that you're prepared to respect what they love and what they represent."

According to Mr McGuinness, the trick is to reach out without compromising political ideals.

"Peter, when he went to the game in Armagh, did so without compromising his political views and opinions," he said. "And that would be absolutely the same for me."

Speaking exclusively to UTV's Political Editor Ken Reid, Mr McGuinness also revealed that he intends to fight the next Westminster and Assembly elections.

"If I have the health to do it and if the party wants to do it and, more importantly, if the people want me to do it, then absolutely," he said.

"I am still in good health and I am still as energized as I ever was.

"Building the peace process was of huge importance to me - as is trying to achieve my primary political objective of the reunification of Ireland by purely peaceful and democratic means."

© UTV News
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41 Comments
stevie in belfast wrote (110 days ago):
@ Rosie and Raymond, There is no bigotry in Ulysses32s comments. He's telling the truth and i would agree 100%
lauren in ballymena wrote (111 days ago):
Rosie / Raymond D, I would like you to tell me how Ulysses 32's comments are bigoted? All I read are facts. The truth certainly does hurt.
Ulysses32 in Belfast wrote (111 days ago):
Yeah, dead on, Rosie.
Ulysses32 in Belfast wrote (111 days ago):
Ditto for you Rosie.
Rosie in Belfast. wrote (112 days ago):
Raymond D @ I would like to associate myself with your excellent comment in response to Ulysses 32's disgraceful and bigoted comment and by the way as a devout Catholic I have no hesitation in stating that I am ashamed of you. Bigots such as you only serve to bring shame on Catholic Church.
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