FORMER TAOISEACH Albert Reynolds yesterday attended the funeral of the Rev Roy Magee, the Presbyterian minister who helped to bring about the loyalist ceasefires of 1994.
The funeral service for Mr Magee took place at Dundonald Presbyterian Church in east Belfast, where he had officiated for over 20 years. Also in attendance was the UDA commander in south Belfast, Jackie McDonald.
The contribution made by Mr Magee to the peace process in the early 1990s has been widely praised since his death at the weekend. He met with UVF and UDA leaders in the period prior to their ceasefires, and helped to persuade them to reject violence, thereby facilitating the all-party talks that produced the Belfast Agreement of 1998.
He had suffered from Parkinson’s disease in recent years.
The Very Rev Dr Ivan McKay, who officiated at the funeral service, described Mr Magee as a “fervent and powerful preacher”.
Speaking after the funeral, Dean McKay said that Mr Magee was fairly apolitical but had been pleased that society in the North was in a better position now.
He said that three events during Mr Magee’s ministry had made a great impact upon him and influenced him to seek peace.
The first of these was the outbreak of the Troubles in 1969, when his inner-city area of north Belfast experienced an explosion of sectarian violence. This had made him ask questions, said Dean McKay, about his ministry and how he could contribute towards the creation of a better society.
The second event was the IRA bombing of the La Mon hotel in 1978, which killed 12 people. The hotel is close to the Dundonald church where Mr Magee was then based, and he had helped relatives to identify the bodies of loved ones.
“This had a profound effect upon him,” said Dean McKay.
The third event was the killing of his close friend, the Rev Robert Bradford, by the IRA in 1981. Dean McKay said that Mr Magee had described the Ulster Unionist MP as the “brother he had never had”.
Dean McKay also pointed to Mr Magee’s role in mediating in the intra-loyalist feuds which have erupted periodically since 1994.