Praise as Paisley steps down
THE first Roman Catholic Speaker of the House of Commons since the Reformation chose Friday night's private dinner for Ian Paisley to pay a personal tribute to the 82-year-old bulwark of Ulster Protestantism.
Making a speech at the DUP dinner to honour the party's founder, Michael Martin spoke with great feeling when he said that the oldest member of the House of Commons was hugely respected at Westminster.
"When Ian Paisley rises to speak everyone comes into the chamber to hear his wisdom," he said.
Referring to how some MPs had spat at Mr Paisley's feet when he first entered Parliament, Mr Martin added: "No one would ever now spit at the feet of Ian Paisley."
And, to uproarious laughter, the Speaker recollected Mr Paisley telling him about his now-defunct Protestant Telegraph publication.
"That wasn't read in our house," Mr Martin recalled telling Mr Paisley, to which the quick-witted North Antrim MP responded: "You don't know what you're missing!"
The 100-a-plate private dinner — held after an earlier public farewell for 1,000 party members — marked Mr Paisley's 37 years as DUP leader.
At the dinner, the 350 invited guests included many of the Paisley family, DUP politicians, Secretary of State Shaun Woodward, Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan, Tory shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Patterson and Ulster-born Labour MP Kate Hoey as well as some party members, business and media worlds.
And, after a traditional Ulster feast of steak and champ had been served — followed by the subtlest hint of Dublin in the form of Bailey's cheesecake — speeches stretched into Saturday morning.
Among the tributes, new leader Peter Robinson noted that the Secretary of State's presence at a DUP gathering was evidence of changed times.
Mr Woodward praised Mr Paisley's integrity and said he was an inspiration to his 18-year-old son.
Reading out a letter from his son, who is spending a year in a Malawi school, Mr Woodward said the 82-year-old had made a huge impression on him when they met four years ago.
And he paid tribute to Mr Paisley's life as a Parliamentarian, saying: "He is a man regarded as a colossus within Parliament."
But the man of the hour — who modestly said he didn't recognise the person to whom all the tributes were being paid — thanked God for his achievements.
And he recalled that no matter how much he was disliked when he first went to Parliament he had always been proud that fellow MPs packed the House when he spoke because they knew there was sure to be fireworks and "a bit of craic".
After William McCrea led the eclectic congregation in singing the Doxology, a long line of guests snaked around the hall as they brought their menus for Mr Paisley to sign.
Paisley's farewell - in pictures
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Monday 28 May 2012
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