‘Imagine Martin McGuinness legacy if he had left his own deathbed account’

But whilst speaking positively of it, Kathryn Johnston also lamented “the legacy he could have left” if he had only come clean at the point of his death in 2017, instead of leaving it to biographers to piece together his secret republican activities.

Ms Johnston was commenting on the fact that the highly-prestigious Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (which includes accounts of the lives of about 64,000 important UK figures) last week added an entry on McGuinness.

It catalogues his “brutal” leadership of the IRA, describing him as “absolutely ruthless” and detailing such observations as his willingness to have so-called informers tortured – adding that he would sometimes insist on killing them himself, to prove his mettle to other members.

It also describes how reluctant he was to renounce violence, noting his “strenuous efforts to sustain the IRA campaign” in the face of defeat, keeping it going in tandem with political campaigns.

This Oxford biography has been starkly contrasted with a recent TG4 TV documentary, which was heavily criticised for its positive portrayals of him and lack of focus on the IRA’s 1,700-plus victims.

Ms Johnston co-wrote a book entitled ‘Martin McGuinness: From Guns to Government’, alongside her late husband Liam Clarke.

And speaking of the new Oxford entry, Ms Johnston said: “This biography of Martin McGuinness doesn’t gloss over the reality of his role as senior IRA commander and one-time Chief of Staff.

“No biography of him could be taken seriously without recognising the thousands of victims of the IRA under his period of leadership.”

But she also added: “Imagine the legacy he could have left if he had given instructions to his executors to reveal details of his time in the IRA. That would be a biography worth reading.”

Here is a full account of the News Letter’s coverage of McGuinness’ two new biographies; one described as a “hagiography”, made with £120,000 of public money, and broadcast on TG4, the other a roughly 5,500-word account in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

1: IRA victims get under five minutes of 87-minute Martin McGuinness documentary

2: Over £44,000 of NI Screen money helped fund Martin McGuinness ‘fighter’ documentary

3: Ex-IRA bomber was on broadcast board when £44k given to McGuinness doc

4: McGuinness doc: Show an example of ‘most oppressed people ever’ narrative

5: Martin McGuinness documentary: Anti-nationalist voting claim ‘misconceived’

6: New biography: Martin McGuinness a ruthless torturer who personally shot victims

7: Oxford Martin McGuinness biography ‘is head and shoulders above TG4 hagiography’

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