Involvement with the IRA and Bloody Sunday

In the early 1970s, McGuinness became involved with the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). By the age of 21, he had risen to the position of second-in-command of the IRA in Derry. He held this leadership role during the events of Bloody Sunday on January 30, 1972, when British soldiers shot and killed 14 civil rights protesters in the city.

A public inquiry later found that McGuinness had been present and possibly involved in paramilitary activity on the day of Bloody Sunday. However, the inquiry concluded there was insufficient evidence to suggest that his actions provided any justification for the soldiers to open fire.

Political Career and Deputy First Minister Role

Following his time with the IRA, McGuinness transitioned into politics as a senior member of Sinn Féin. He played a significant role in the Northern Ireland peace process, including negotiating the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. In 2007, he was appointed deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, serving alongside First Minister Ian Paisley and his successors in a power-sharing government established as part of the peace process. McGuinness held the role until January 2017, when he announced he would not seek re-election due to health issues.

Health Decline and Death

McGuinness was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a rare condition that attacks vital organs. His illness led to his resignation from politics in early 2017. He died on March 21, 2017, at the age of 66, in Derry.

Personal Life and Beliefs

In 1974, Martin McGuinness married Bernadette Canning. Together, they had four children: two sons and two daughters. He was a lifelong teetotaler and a member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association of the Sacred Heart, a Roman Catholic organization dedicated to abstaining from alcohol.