The Rev Ian Paisley has died.

If your more than  60 years old the chap that has had more influence on your life almost more than any other is the Reverend Ian Paisley who died yesterday aged 88. He was literally a towering figure in Northern Ireland and English politics, standing 6' 3" he looked down on most other political pygmies. He was elected to parliament in 1970  and was a thorn in the side of all British governments thereafter by his apparent belligerents. He was a great orator in a time when that particular gift has almost but disappeared from the political stage. His barn storming and rhetorical speeches could create a sensation of terror - especially when he utter those now famous words "never, never, never, never" - to the idea of giving any power sharing to Sean Fein and their murdering henchmen the Irish Republican Army (IRA). However Paisley and Martin McGuinness the one time head of the (IRA) did just that following the Good Friday agreement in 1988 and the subsequent referendum. Paisley was known when not shouting at his political rivals as a warm hearted and generous man with a keen sense of humour. He and McGuiness were commonly known in the Provence as the 'chuckle brothers' for their good humour as joint first ministers in Northern Ireland.
He has left a great and indelible legacy in Northern Ireland and wider afield and will be greatly missed by all shades of political opinion - without him the story of that island would have been very different. May he rest in peace - he deserves to.