An extraordinary life during the time of trouble.  A man able to wash the blood from his hands and make peace with his enemies equally involved in the bloodletting.  This was a war that seemed to be irresolvable until Catholic and Protestant civilian peace movements came to the forefront demanding an end to the cycle of carnage, entrenched hatred, and disrespect for human life of all ages.

McGuinness was one of the war leaders who listened.  Another was Paisley.  Hume.  Adams. There were many extremists on both sides who wanted the peace talks to fail and who worked to sabotage the efforts.  They failed.  The violence achieved no goal other than revulsion.  Peace took hold and a generation was born and has benefitted from it.  It has it problems but it has held.  There is no going back.  Blessed are the peacemakers.