Martin McGuinness
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness (Irish: Séamus Máirtín Pacelli Mag Aonghusa; 23 May 1950 – 21 March 2017) was an Irish republican politician and statesman for Sinn Féin and a leader within the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) during The Troubles. He was the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from May 2007 to January 2017.
Martin McGuinness | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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McGuinness in January 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 8 May 2007 – 9 January 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Peter Hain (As Secretary of State for Northern Ireland) Mark Durkan (2002) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Michelle O'Neill (2020) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister of Education | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 2 December 1999 – 14 October 2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First Minister | David Trimble (FM) Seamus Mallon (dFM) Mark Durkan (dFM) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Office established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Caitríona Ruane | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | James Martin Pacelli McGuinness 23 May 1950 Derry, Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 21 March 2017 (aged 66) Derry, Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Irish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Sinn Féin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Bernadette Canning (m. 1974) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance | Official IRA Provisional IRA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battles/wars | The Troubles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ^a John O'Dowd served as Acting dFM from 20 September 2011 to 31 October 2011 while McGuinness campaigned in the 2011 Irish presidential election ^b During the periods of suspension of the Northern Ireland Executive, the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland assumed the responsibilities of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. The final Northern Ireland Secretary to act as First Minister was Peter Hain. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
McGuinness served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Ulster from 1997 until his resignation in 2013. Like all Sinn Féin MPs, McGuinness followed abstentionism in the Westminster Parliament. Working alongside US Special Envoy George Mitchell, McGuinness was also one of the main architects of the Good Friday Agreement which formally cemented the Northern Ireland peace process and established the Northern Ireland Assembly.
In 1998, McGuinness was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Mid Ulster. He served as Minister of Education in the Northern Ireland Executive under First Minister David Trimble from 1999 to 2002. Following the St Andrews Agreement and the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election, he became deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland on 8 May 2007, with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Ian Paisley becoming First Minister. In 2008 and 2016, he was reappointed as deputy First Minister to serve alongside Peter Robinson and Arlene Foster, respectively. He was Sinn Féin's candidate for President of Ireland in the 2011 Irish presidential election.
In the 2016 Northern Ireland Assembly election, McGuinness was elected as the MLA for Foyle. On 9 January 2017, McGuinness resigned as deputy First Minister in protest over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal. He announced on 19 January that he would not be standing for re-election in the 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election due to ill health. He reportedly suffered from amyloidosis, a condition that attacks the vital organs, and retired shortly before his death on 21 March 2017, aged 66.