McGuinness trips up in race for Irish presidency

Martin McGuinness has been quizzed on his IRA past since deciding to run for president of Ireland but the Northern Irishman was tripped up yesterday over a lack of knowledge of politics south of the Border.

McGuinness, who fought British troops during the IRA’s 30-year campaign to end British rule in Northern Ireland but went on to become the province’s deputy first minister, electrified a dull race by announcing his candidacy this month.

As a Northern Irish citizen, McGuinness cannot vote in the 27 October ballot, but can run for the Irish Republic’s presidency because anyone born north of the Border is entitled to hold a British or Irish passport.

While the Sinn Fein candidate dealt carefully last week with questions over whether he killed anyone while a member of the terrorist group, he was less comfortable when asked to name the Republic’s environment minister on a morning radio chat show.

“The minister for the environment… the minister for the environment…” McGuinness replied before the presenter on Dublin-based Today FM indicated that he was out of time.

McGuinness was also unable to say how many members of parliament sit in the Republic’s lower chamber, answering 168 rather than the 166 deputies elected in February.

McGuinness has stood down as deputy first minister of the Belfast government to campaign for the Irish presidency, and a poll on Sunday put him in third place in the race.