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Martin McGuinness: Ex-IRA commander gives Warrington peace lecture Martin McGuinness: Ex-IRA commander 'understands' Warrington protest
(about 21 hours later)
Northern Ireland's deputy first minister Martin McGuinness is to deliver a peace lecture at a Warrington centre set up to honour two boys killed in an IRA bomb attack 20 years ago. Northern Ireland's deputy first minister Martin McGuinness has said his "heart goes out" to protesters at a lecture he has given in a town which suffered an IRA bomb attack in 1993.
Johnathan Ball, three, and Tim Parry, 12, died in the attack in March 1993 when two bombs exploded. Two boys died when two bombs exploded in Warrington 20 years ago.
Mr McGuinness, who was previously an IRA commander, will deliver the annual peace lecture in Warrington. Mr McGuinness, who was previously an IRA commander, was giving the town's annual peace lecture.
He visited the centre in 2001 and said the bombing was wrong. But one opponent, Julie Hambleton, said it was like "asking Myra Hindley to give a talk on child protection".
Tim's father, Colin Parry, who founded The Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball Foundation For Peace, invited Mr McGuinness to the centre earlier this year when they met in Belfast. Mrs Hambleton, whose sister Maxine died at the age of 18 in the Birmingham pub bombings carried out by Irish Republicans in 1974, was one of a small group of people protesting outside the Tim Parry-Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace building.
"We don't just talk to victims of terrorism we also talk to people who have been associated with terrorist acts," Mr Parry said at the time. The centre takes its name from the two boys who lost their lives in the attack, aged 12 and three.
"In simple terms, you make peace with your enemies, not with your friends." Tim Parry's father Colin asked Mr McGuinness to give the lecture, which is held every year in the centre, when they met in Belfast earlier this year.
No-one has been charged over the attack, in which two bombs hidden in litter bins exploded in Bridge Street, killing the two boys and injuring 54 people. Speaking before he gave the lecture, Mr McGuinness said he "understood" the objections and empathised with those who could not make the "journey" he had to peace.
Mr Parry and his wife Wendy have campaigned for peace since and the centre was opened on the seventh anniversary of the bombing. "My heart goes out to them because they too are people that have suffered as a result of the conflict in the north of Ireland," he said.
He previously visited the centre in 2001, when he said the bombing was wrong.
He added on this visit that it was "absolutely shameful" that the boys had lost their lives.
"We need to be sorry for everything that happened - all of us who were involved in the conflict, not just Irish Republicans," he said.
'Peace builders'
The brother of Maxine Hambleton, Brian, who was also protesting, said Mr McGuinness had a "murky, violent past" and it was "immoral" for Mr Parry to have asked him to deliver the lecture.
Mr Parry said he accepted such criticism but that it did not "grasp the founding principles of this organisation, which is to be peace builders with the aim of reconciling people".
"Once you set your stall out in that regard, you don't close the door to certain people and open it to others," he said.
No-one has been charged over the attack, in which two bombs hidden in litter bins exploded in Bridge Street, killing the two boys and injuring 54 others.
Mr Parry and his wife Wendy opened the centre on the seventh anniversary of the bombing.
In 2007, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams apologised to them at a meeting in London.In 2007, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams apologised to them at a meeting in London.
Johnathan Ball's parents have since died.Johnathan Ball's parents have since died.