C. of I. theologian robustly critical of Martin McGuinness’s presidential bid

The Church of Ireland Gazette in today’s edition [30 September 2011] carries the following photograph and half-page report on page 6:

C. of I. theologian robustly critical of
Martin McGuinness’s presidential bid

Canon Patrick Comerford, lecturer in Anglicanism and Liturgy at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute in Dublin, has taken to task Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister and Sinn Féin candidate in the forthcoming election for President of Ireland, Martin McGuinness, over Mr McGuinness’s recent blaming of “West Brit elements” in the Dublin media for daring to ask questions about his Provisional IRA past.

Writing on his Internet blog (http:// revpatrickcomerford. blogspot. com/), Canon Comerford says that the term ‘West Brit’ is usually used “pejoratively”.

Noting how Mr McGuinness now says his remark was off-the-cuff”, Canon Comerford asks: “Does someone have the gravitas and dignity for the office of President if they are taken aback during a planned interview, an interview pre-arranged and that has been agreed in advance, and makes racist and unacceptable ‘off-the-cuff’ remarks? How many other racist and unacceptable ‘off-the-cuff’ remarks is this man capable of?”

The outspoken theologian goes on to declare that if there is “no place in Martin McGuinness’s ugly new Ireland, for ‘West Brits’, the ‘Anglo-Irish’, those who speak Received Pronunciation English, those who enjoy cricket and rugby, those whose parents were born in Rathmines and Rathgar, those whose father or grandfather fought in the British Army in World War I or World War II, those who wear a poppy, those who received part of our education in England or worked there for a while, those who are proud of that part of our ancestry that is English (even if generations ago), or those who oppose 40 years of murderous violence on this island, then I hope his canvassers decide not to knock at my door during their electioneering.

Canon Comerford says he would like an apology, but adds that Mr McGuinness has “too many other and more obvious acts of violence and intimidation to apologise for.”