Death of Peggy McGuinness

The funeral took place on Wednesday morning of Peggy McGuinness, mother of the Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness.

84-year-old Mrs McGuinness died peacefully at her Bogside home on Monday morning surrounded by her family. Mrs McGuinness had been ill for some months.

Large numbers of people -- including figures from the worlds of politics and sport -- attended her funeral .

Among the mourners were former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds and Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams.

Mrs McGuinness was later buried at St. Mary’s cemetery, Cockhill, in Buncrana, her childhood parish.

She is survived by her seven children, Tom, Martin, Paul, Geraldine, William, Declan and John.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan said Mrs McGuinness was a “kindly woman with real charm”. Other Assembly members also offered their sympathy to Mr McGuinness yesterday.

DUP leader Peter Robinson said that anyone who had spoken to the deputy first minister recently about the illness of his mother would know how close their relationship was.

“The passing of a mother is a difficult time for any of us and many of us have already passed through that shadow,” he said.

Sinn Féin’s junior minister Gerry Kelly also expressed condolences.

“I knew her personally and she will be very sadly missed in the Derry area and indeed further afield,” he said.

“She was a very well-known and respected woman and her sense of humour and indeed, in her eighties, her political prowess, will be very much missed.”

The SDLP’s Alban Maginness said he wanted to express on behalf of his group in the assembly sympathy to the deputy first minister.

“For anyone of whatever age to lose one’s mother is a great blow and it is something which is deeply regrettable,” he said.

The death also occurred earlier in the week of prominent Sinn Féin councillor Charlie McHugh from Castlederg, Co Tyrone, who served on Strabane District Council.

He was among the first Sinn Féin representatives to take a council seat which he held ever since. He served as council chairman and vice-chairman on a number of occasions.

A keen GAA enthusiast, Mr McHugh was associated with Gaelic games in the west Tyrone area.

Mr McHugh’s sudden death comes just months after that of fellow Strabane Sinn Féin councillor Ivan Barr who was elected to the local authority at the same time. He died in May after a long struggle with cancer.

Urgent Appeal