'Colossus of Ulster politics' celebrates his 90th birthday
LORD Molyneaux, "a colossus of Ulster politics", will today mark his 90th birthday with a quiet celebration with relatives.
The former Ulster Unionist Party leader told the News Letter last night: "I am delighted by the number of cards and kind wishes I have received, and am looking forward to celebrating with my family."
Earlier this week, the church he has attended since childhood organised a special tea party for him.
The Rev William Orr of St Catherine's Church of Ireland at Killead said that he was impressed that throughout Lord Molyneaux's career the confirmed bachelor always made a point of being at the church on Sunday.
"He has been a member of this church since he was a wee boy and he still serves on its governing body, the select vestry, and sings in the choir.
"The most important thing I could say is that he is a man of grace.
"I have never met a man so full of grace and encouragement and I hold him in the highest regard as a man, a parishioner and a Christian."
Ulster Unionist peer Lord Maginnis said that Lord Molyneaux is "a colossus of Ulster politics".
"All his friends will celebrate his 90th birthday and wish him the happiness and contentment he has earned during a lifetime of generous dedication to the United Kingdom, including his beloved Northern Ireland," he said.
"For those of us who worked closely with Lord Molyneaux of Killead for many years, he has been, by example, an inspiration and the epitome of service, principle and industry.
"I was delighted, when I called to visit him recently, to find him in good spirits and still preoccupied with 'the good of Northern Ireland'."
The truest representation of his friend's British and unionist identity, said Lord Maginnis, was Lord Molyneaux's fight through Europe to the gates of the Nazi concentration camp, Belsen, in north west Germany in 1945. As a corporal in the RAF, Lord Molyneaux was tasked to bring medical aid to the camp, later speaking of seeing 17,000 bodies and attacking an SS guard he found abusing two prisoners.
Lord Molyneaux was born in 1920 – a year before the creation of Northern Ireland.
He led the Ulster Unionist Party from 1979 to 1995 and was MP for South Antrim (1970-83) and Lagan Valley (1983-97).
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Belfast
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Heavy rain
Temperature: 3 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 5 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
