| I had the pleasure of being present at the original announcement of the ceasefire of Northern Ireland in 1995.
We were responsible for flying the then Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Patrick Mayhew over the provence to visit all the patrol bases and outlying police stations and meetings with Sein Fein representatives and government officials, doing all the leg work to make the ceasefire a success.
I had an excellent photo taken with him at the border near a village called Kiltirk with Clones the Southern Ireland village where Barry McGuigan is from in the background.
The 2 of us are shaking hands over a border crossing point which was later destroyed as a gesture of goodwill in the steps towards the ceasefire. The photo takes pride of place beside my medals. |