Paisley's last stand.

[orangeman]

Love him or loathe him, he has had an enormous influence ( the nature of it depends on your own perspective ) on life in Northern Ireland. He came in with a blast and is going out with hardly a sound.

Rev Ian Paisley ends 60 years of full-time ministry
By Mark Simpson

BBC Ireland Correspondent


Rev Ian Paisley, his wife Baroness Paisley and their five children on Friday night There was standing-room only at Martyrs' Memorial Church in Belfast at a farewell service for the Rev Ian Paisley.

More than 3,000 people gathered to hear him preach.

Now aged 85, the service marked the official end of his six decades of full-time ministry.

The former DUP leader and Stormont First Minister stepped down from elected politics last year, and intends concentrating on writing his memoirs.

Now known as Lord Bannside, speaking before the service, he said: "I am exceedingly happy that I've had the privilege of being the preacher here for 65 years, and that's a long time.

"We have seen a miraculous work done, and we have seen a great change in our city in many ways. We've seen a change spiritually by people having respect for the bible."

Among those at the service was the Stormont Health Minister Edwin Poots and DUP MP William McCrea, who sang a solo.

One of those who spoke was the Rev Paisley's son, Kyle, who is also an ordained minister. He described his father as "a doer, an achiever and a great dad".

The Rev Paisley preached his first sermon at the age of 16.

He was ordained at the age of 20, just after the Second World War. Even when his political career took off, he kept preaching - three times a week, including twice on a Sunday.

He formed his own fundamentalist Protestant denomination, the Free Presbyterian Church.

Loved by some, loathed by others, he was accused of blatant sectarianism when he interrupted the Pope's speech to the European parliament in 1988.

Although he is leaving full-time ministry, Friday night's sermon was not expected to be his final time in a pulpit.

He is likely to accept occasional invitations to preach in Northern Ireland and abroad.

[Minder]

Love him or loathe him, he has had an enormous influence ( the nature of it depends on your own perspective ) on life in Northern Ireland. He came in with a blast and is going out with hardly a sound.

Rev Ian Paisley ends 60 years of full-time ministry
By Mark Simpson

BBC Ireland Correspondent


Rev Ian Paisley, his wife Baroness Paisley and their five children on Friday night There was standing-room only at Martyrs' Memorial Church in Belfast at a farewell service for the Rev Ian Paisley.

More than 3,000 people gathered to hear him preach.

Now aged 85, the service marked the official end of his six decades of full-time ministry.

The former DUP leader and Stormont First Minister stepped down from elected politics last year, and intends concentrating on writing his memoirs.

Now known as Lord Bannside, speaking before the service, he said: "I am exceedingly happy that I've had the privilege of being the preacher here for 65 years, and that's a long time.

"We have seen a miraculous work done, and we have seen a great change in our city in many ways. We've seen a change spiritually by people having respect for the bible."

Among those at the service was the Stormont Health Minister Edwin Poots and DUP MP William McCrea, who sang a solo.

One of those who spoke was the Rev Paisley's son, Kyle, who is also an ordained minister. He described his father as "a doer, an achiever and a great dad".

The Rev Paisley preached his first sermon at the age of 16.

He was ordained at the age of 20, just after the Second World War. Even when his political career took off, he kept preaching - three times a week, including twice on a Sunday.

He formed his own fundamentalist Protestant denomination, the Free Presbyterian Church.

Loved by some, loathed by others, he was accused of blatant sectarianism when he interrupted the Pope's speech to the European parliament in 1988.

Although he is leaving full-time ministry, Friday night's sermon was not expected to be his final time in a pulpit.

He is likely to accept occasional invitations to preach in Northern Ireland and abroad.

This.

[orangeman]

Understandbly so. For a man of the cloth, he stirred up some shite in his time and marched some men ( literally at times ) up the hill and marched them down again and anything went after that.

Those who knew him well, like Marty mc Guinness would say that he wasn't a bad auld devil at all.

[lawnseed]

a brilliant politician probably the best this country has ever produced and brilliant craic. his breeding like rabbits speech.. never! never! never! well he was never boring..

[Hoof Hearted]

a hateful, bitter oul f**ker is what he was, is and always will be

[Tony Baloney]

There is a danger that he will be remembered as the cantankerous old devil of the past few years rather than the a bitter, twisted rabble-rouser with the blood of many men and women on his hands. He obviously believes in Heaven and Hell so he'll not be cold where he is going! Preferably screaming...

[eoinbeag]

There is a danger that he will be remembered as the cantankerous old devil of the past few years rather than the a bitter, twisted rabble-rouser with the blood of many men and women on his hands. He obviously believes in Heaven and Hell so he'll not be cold where he is going! Preferably screaming...

Too true - many a man left the house never to return after one of his sermons.

[fitzroyalty]

Carryout when Paisley dies.

[Shamrock Shore]

I am in agreement with Tony. A hateful auld cnut who, despite appearing to mellow in his dotage, is still one of the reasons why Norn Iron went the way it did.

When he meets his maker I hope he has his excuses well honed.

[Dougal Maguire]

I am in agreement with Tony. A hateful auld cnut who, despite appearing to mellow in his dotage, is still one of the reasons why Norn Iron went the way it did.

When he meets his maker I hope he has his excuses well honed.

Well said Shamrock

[Hardy]

An evil man who would put the taliban in the shade for vicious, mindless, religion based intolerance.

[Puckoon]

Hopefully it will bear some similarities to Custer's last stand.

[Evil Genius]

Hateful bigot, whose contribution to the "Ulster" he professed to love was almost entirely destructive.

His "retirement" is 65 years too late...

[trileacman]

As others have said there are alot of people dead because of him. Worse than this though is the attempt to portray him as a peacemaker rather than a hate-filled, bible-thumping, bigot whose uncompromising rhetoric extended the troubles by at least 10 years.

[LondonCamanachd]

F*ck him

These islands will never see maturity until the last churchman is strangled with the last red top newspaper.