A PAINT bomb attack on the Derry family home of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness will not draw his party “back to the past” the Sinn Féin MLA claimed today.
The attack, which is believed to have happened sometime last night, occurred while Mr McGuinness and his family – including his grandchildren – were inside the property.
“This was an attack not just on me but on my family too,” he said today.
“The people behind these attacks have nothing to offer the community,” he added, “and they are intent on dragging society back to the past. Neither I or the people I represent will allow them to do that.”
Earlier in the day Mr McGuinness had reinforced his commitment to furthering peaceful relations between Britain and Ireland in an interview with Sky News’ Dermot Murnaghan.
When questioned on the impending visit of the Prince of Wales to the Republic and North of Ireland later this month, the Deputy First Minister for the North claimed is was “a good thing”, although could not confirm if he would be meeting with Prince Charles during his visit.
“We haven’t had any discussions about that so far,” he said, adding “we just had a news report that this visit is happening and that he intends to visit both Sligo and Galway and the speculation is that he will visit the site of Mullaghmore where his grand-uncle lost his life.”
Prince Charles’ visit is expected to include a stop at Mullaghmore, in Co. Sligo, where his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten was killed by the IRA in August 1979.
“Obviously in terms of the acts of reconciliation that I have been involved with, with Queen Elizabeth, for example, on several occasions, if this visit fits into this whole process of reconciliation then I think that would be a good thing,” Mr McGuinness explained.
“We have seen some very powerful symbolism over the course of the last number of years,” he added “and I think there are very many politicians, both in the North and in the South of Ireland, who could learn from the example that has been shown in terms of the ability of people who were former opponents and enemies actually coming together to show good example and attempt to build a better future through what is a central stage of the peace process.”
