:00:21. > :00:28.The headlines: Martin McGuinness tells this programme he has no fear
:00:28. > :00:37.of standing before the people of Northern Ireland. I will say that
:00:37. > :00:42.some things that the IRA did was wrong. We test the opinions of
:00:42. > :00:49.voters. I don't agree with him coming in. From the stories I have
:00:49. > :00:51.heard, I don't think he will do well for Ireland. A court herds --
:00:51. > :00:56.here's how this pensioner may have been sexually assaulted after her
:00:56. > :01:04.murder. We hear from the rugby here RIAS --
:01:04. > :01:08.for rugby heroes after their momentous win against Australia.
:01:08. > :01:12.Martin McGuinness insists his past as an IRA commander should not
:01:12. > :01:17.prevent him from coming Irish President. He was speaking as he
:01:17. > :01:20.prepared to step aside from the Deputy First Ministers job for the
:01:20. > :01:26.duration off his presidential campaign. We look at the last few
:01:26. > :01:33.hours of his role. He has already been pressing the flesh out of the
:01:33. > :01:40.control -- campaign trail. He will come under scrutiny in the recent
:01:40. > :01:49.weeks. Later, we will hear from him. First, Gareth Gordon reports on the
:01:49. > :01:53.handover of power. At St Luke's primary school, this
:01:53. > :01:57.was the current President of Ireland this morning. She had come
:01:58. > :02:06.north on the day that be would be President of Ireland was preparing
:02:06. > :02:10.to go it self. He exercises the functions of the office of Deputy
:02:10. > :02:15.First Minister. Mr McGuinness will see is to be Deputy First Minister
:02:15. > :02:25.at midnight. The man who will replace him and says it will be
:02:25. > :02:25.
:02:25. > :02:30.business as usual. We have come together with being a working
:02:30. > :02:34.relationship. I don't think confrontation hasn't been Martin's
:02:34. > :02:43.style and it would be my style. They still the business of
:02:44. > :02:47.confronting the past. I remember in 74, A was the early 70s, a reporter
:02:47. > :02:53.reported that I had boasted about killing eight British soldiers in
:02:53. > :02:59.the Free Derry area. That was a total and outright lie. I would say,
:02:59. > :03:04.if I get in to answering question for question at the questions of
:03:04. > :03:10.the media in that regard, I will be answering those questions from now
:03:10. > :03:17.to kingdom come. I have heard three different answers now about when he
:03:17. > :03:26.left the IRA. He said he left in the 1970s, 1974 and I have heard
:03:26. > :03:32.him say, "it doesn't matter". He had the opportunity to clear all
:03:32. > :03:39.this up and chose not to do so. He wants to be evasive about his past.
:03:39. > :03:45.We know it is passed will be an issue in deciding his future.
:03:45. > :03:55.Tension in the Republic is expected to focus on Martin McGuinness' role
:03:55. > :04:01.in the IRA. I asked him how he can represent the country when he was a
:04:01. > :04:08.leader of the IRA. The picture so far of the announcement that I am
:04:08. > :04:12.going to be a candidate, obviously informs the media that they should
:04:12. > :04:19.adopt this type of approach and questioning. You don't think it is
:04:19. > :04:24.a reasonable line of questioning? It is an attempt by the media to
:04:24. > :04:31.bring up the feelings of victims and use them. You think they need
:04:31. > :04:40.whipping up? I do believe they have these feelings but the media play a
:04:40. > :04:46.role in trying to sensationalise and manipulate the situation.
:04:46. > :04:56.sensation what it -- what is sensationalising about this
:04:56. > :04:59.
:04:59. > :05:09.statement? I thought the first question in my interview would be
:05:09. > :05:10.
:05:10. > :05:18.about the role in aiming to become President. But, it is not. The
:05:18. > :05:22.media have this element and agenda by be tried to use victims and we
:05:22. > :05:29.put the situation against my campaign. The reality is there has
:05:29. > :05:34.been a bitter conflict for more than two decades. There were many
:05:34. > :05:41.participants in that conflict. The IRA it was a participant and I was
:05:41. > :05:46.a member of the IRA. I don't diverse my responsibility for that.
:05:46. > :05:51.I believe I have a responsibility, given that I was a member of the
:05:51. > :06:00.IRA. I have resolved that conflict with many British soldiers and
:06:00. > :06:05.others. Some civilians lost their lives. I believe the people of
:06:05. > :06:10.Ireland we look at my record in the round. They will see me as a
:06:10. > :06:15.peacemaker, as someone who has tried to inspire people in the
:06:15. > :06:20.North in favour of the peace process. You have talked about the
:06:20. > :06:28.need to having a duty to heal the wounds of the Republicans. Part of
:06:29. > :06:37.that would be saying, "I'm sorry, it was wrong.". You are never say
:06:37. > :06:43.that, were you? Do you expect me to say I was wrong to say I was wrong
:06:43. > :06:53.to join the IRA? Many would say you should. I will never do that. Many
:06:53. > :06:53.
:06:53. > :06:57.things were wrong. I don't take away my responsibility with the IRA.
:06:57. > :07:01.You may have to meet the Queen if you were to be president. That is a
:07:01. > :07:05.change in principle because the party refused to meet the Queen
:07:05. > :07:09.when she was in Ireland earlier this year. Why the change in
:07:09. > :07:14.principle? Going forward in this election, I am going forward as
:07:15. > :07:18.Martin McGuinness in my own right. I am not going forward as a
:07:18. > :07:26.representative of Sinn Fein. Does that mean your allegiance to the
:07:26. > :07:31.state will be your greater to your republican movement? My need is for
:07:31. > :07:36.a conversation about how we get to a new island and a new republic. As
:07:36. > :07:40.part of my responsibility, if I were lucky enough to be elected as
:07:40. > :07:44.president of my country, it would be to represent my country on the
:07:44. > :07:49.world stage and to meet with foreign dignitaries without
:07:49. > :07:53.exception. I asked the question because you told the several
:07:53. > :07:59.tribunal that you couldn't give details because of the republican
:07:59. > :08:09.code of honour. I asked to go, would John Regis to the Irish state
:08:09. > :08:11.
:08:11. > :08:15.be higher to that republican code of honour -- I asked you if you're
:08:15. > :08:20.Irish state would be higher than the republican code of honour? In
:08:20. > :08:25.another generation, Sinn Fein would be ready to be elected as president.
:08:25. > :08:31.It is just too early. I don't think you are the person to make that
:08:31. > :08:34.judgment. The people of Ireland will make that judgment. I stand
:08:34. > :08:41.regularly on an important Irish constituency made up of the
:08:41. > :08:45.citizens of South Derry. I have been endorsed it regularly by these
:08:45. > :08:49.people who know where I have come from in the past and know the role
:08:49. > :08:53.I have played in building peace in this country. I have no fear what
:08:53. > :08:59.somewhere for about going before the Irish people. His entry into
:08:59. > :09:06.the race has given fresh impetus to a campaign which many display --
:09:06. > :09:10.say is lacklustre. With support from Jennifer O'Leary, we have this
:09:10. > :09:14.report. It is the morning after the formal start of the run for the
:09:14. > :09:18.Irish presidency. The competition already trying to deflect the
:09:18. > :09:25.attention away from Martin McGuinness and back on themselves.
:09:25. > :09:29.I chaired myself on a number of occasions and I have seen first-
:09:29. > :09:33.hand the great things that can happen at the bringing together of
:09:33. > :09:38.both communities. I welcome that and people have contributed to that
:09:38. > :09:43.through the years. If I were president, I would continue that
:09:43. > :09:48.work and continued to promote the peace of the Good Friday Agreement.
:09:49. > :09:56.I remain focused on my at campaign and on the message I want to bring
:09:56. > :10:06.to the average people. I want to do for enterprise and jobs what Mary
:10:06. > :10:12.
:10:12. > :10:19.Achilles has done for the peace He held his fire when asked about
:10:19. > :10:24.Martin McGuinness' pass. We have a very bright future if we make the
:10:24. > :10:29.riced -- make the right choices. What about the younger people? What
:10:29. > :10:39.do they make of Martin McGuinness? At least he was politically engaged
:10:39. > :10:40.
:10:40. > :10:50.when he was younger, even if he was using massed up at Mathers. It is
:10:50. > :10:52.
:10:53. > :11:00.People in Ireland should move on from the past. He has done a lot
:11:00. > :11:05.for the North. I don't agree with him coming in. I don't know much
:11:05. > :11:11.about him but from the stories from my parents, I don't think he will
:11:11. > :11:14.do well for Northern Ireland. He shouldn't deserve to get the
:11:14. > :11:24.President position. There is other people out there who deserve it
:11:24. > :11:24.
:11:25. > :11:29.more. It is too early to gauge the impact of the presidency. The final
:11:29. > :11:34.roll-call has yet to be confirmed. With only 40 days to go, the
:11:34. > :11:44.election is now a major EST and the stakes for all those running remain
:11:44. > :11:45.
:11:45. > :11:49.high. Mark Devenport joins as. If Martin McGuinness becomes the
:11:49. > :11:58.central focus of this campaign, for that lead to the detriment of the
:11:58. > :12:03.other candidates? -- will fat lead. They want to cut the profile in
:12:03. > :12:07.their own right. Whilst there may be some who will try and dig up
:12:07. > :12:14.more in relation to his past, it looks like Sinn Fein of relaxed.
:12:14. > :12:18.They will say, "we are not about the past, we are about the future.".
:12:18. > :12:24.They will save even if that publicity is hostile, they are
:12:24. > :12:28.still up on points. Are they taking the lead because the field of
:12:28. > :12:32.candidates was deemed to be unexciting? They sensed an
:12:32. > :12:37.opportunity, especially when the Dida made that decision that his
:12:37. > :12:42.party would not feel the candidate. There is a gap there and they can
:12:43. > :12:49.exploit this. Their belief will be even if Martin McGuinness doesn't
:12:50. > :12:54.emerge as a winner, if they build on a successful election, that will
:12:54. > :12:57.contribute to the oil -- All Ireland project. They said the
:12:58. > :13:04.peace process was like a bicycle, you have to keep moving. This has
:13:04. > :13:09.given them another election to focus on. For what effect will the
:13:09. > :13:13.substitution of Jonno doubt have on the whole Assembly? Not a vast
:13:13. > :13:19.amount. They take their decisions corporately and bring them back to
:13:19. > :13:24.a think tank and come up with the decision. If they some dramatic
:13:24. > :13:29.event up there, they may miss Martin McGuinness' handling of that.
:13:29. > :13:33.John O'Dowd will focus on what Martin my guess will be her --
:13:33. > :13:38.focusing on. Getting agreement from the party's for a programme for
:13:38. > :13:48.Government. He will be balancing that with his educational
:13:48. > :13:52.
:13:52. > :13:57.priorities. He was relating it to a He was a murder that shocked he
:13:57. > :14:04.city and the wider community. End - - and 81-year-old widow beaten to
:14:04. > :14:10.death on Christmas Day. The trial began of the woman who killed Moira
:14:10. > :14:14.rare Rankin and the story that she may be sexually assaulted after her
:14:14. > :14:18.dead -- after her death. The court heard she had a
:14:18. > :14:23.supportive family and an excellent quality of life. The widowed mother
:14:23. > :14:30.was found dead in her home on Christmas Day 2008. She had been
:14:30. > :14:34.viciously assaulted. This is the woman accused of her more -- murder.
:14:34. > :14:38.She owned the house next door. She admits being in her home on the
:14:38. > :14:46.night of the Morda but claims she had only come to share a Christmas
:14:46. > :14:52.drink. She says when she left a short time later, Moira Dunn was
:14:52. > :14:58.still alive. She says there is compelling evidence, DNA, record
:14:58. > :15:08.evidence. Karen Walsh, far from being a well-intentioned neighbour,
:15:08. > :15:14.
:15:14. > :15:21.The jury was told it would hear evidence of the head and chest
:15:21. > :15:25.injuries that would kill her. That Mrs Rankin had been found naked and
:15:25. > :15:35.badly bruised, and that she had been sexually assaulted, possibly
:15:35. > :15:37.
:15:37. > :15:44.after her death. The Crown claimed Karen Walsh carried out the murder.
:15:44. > :15:51.And, that while the wrong code was used, the digits dark matched his
:15:51. > :15:55.mobile and business numbers. A brother in law was the person who
:15:56. > :16:00.found her body. The family had been anxious because she had not
:16:00. > :16:04.answered the phone on Christmas morning. Mr Morgan broke down as he
:16:04. > :16:09.was asked to look at photographs of the murder scene. In the public
:16:09. > :16:15.gallery, other members of the family wept openly as well. This
:16:15. > :16:19.afternoon, two of her daughter's gave evidence. They painted a
:16:19. > :16:24.picture of a woman with little interest in alcohol, who transpires
:16:24. > :16:28.for medicinal purposes. She told the trial her mother was meant to
:16:28. > :16:33.come to her on Christmas Eve night, but insisted on staying on her own
:16:33. > :16:37.home to recover from an illness. Mrs Rankin said it was the first
:16:37. > :16:41.Christmas Eve night her mother had ever spent alone. She said she had
:16:41. > :16:46.been deeply affected by that thought ever since, but added, it
:16:46. > :16:49.we were not to know what was going to happen. The case continues.
:16:49. > :16:53.The police have come under attack from petrol bombers during a major
:16:53. > :16:56.security alert in Lurgan. At least six petrol bombs were thrown at
:16:56. > :16:59.officers at the Kilwilkee estate in Lurgan. Police in full riot gear
:16:59. > :17:02.came under attack as a suspicious device was being examined by army
:17:02. > :17:05.technical officers near the railway line. No one was injured in the
:17:05. > :17:08.attack. Local residents were moved from their homes and the railway
:17:08. > :17:12.line has been closed for most of the day.
:17:12. > :17:19.Still to come on the programme: A real rugby special - the biggest
:17:19. > :17:26.world achievement for Ireland ever! And a bit of a dismal end to the
:17:26. > :17:28.day, but tomorrow should be a bit more cheerful.
:17:28. > :17:32.After all the disappointing performances recently, Ireland's
:17:32. > :17:37.rugby team came good when it mattered. And what a time to find
:17:37. > :17:40.their form! Here's Stephen Watson. Ireland turned the Rugby World Cup
:17:40. > :17:44.on its head with one of their greatest ever performances,
:17:44. > :17:48.upsetting the odds to beating the much-fancied Australians. Ulster's
:17:48. > :17:51.Stephen Ferris and Rory Best played key roles in the fantastic win.
:17:52. > :17:55.Ireland are now favourites to top their pool, and if they beat Russia
:17:55. > :18:03.and Italy in the two remaining games, they will set up a quarter
:18:03. > :18:08.final probably against Wales, Samoa or Fiji.
:18:08. > :18:11.The biggest World Cup achievement by any Irish side ever. Reason
:18:11. > :18:16.enough for the smart and celebrations after Saturday's
:18:16. > :18:23.already famous victory, Ireland produced an intensity that the
:18:23. > :18:31.Australians simply couldn't match. Everything appeared on the line for
:18:31. > :18:38.a first ever World Cup victory over Australia. We said this would take
:18:38. > :18:43.all the squad, and we spoke last night, we knew we would go home
:18:43. > :18:53.tomorrow. Everything just build up fast, and when the motivation and
:18:53. > :18:55.
:18:55. > :19:03.hype is created, you have to deliver, and we did.
:19:04. > :19:07.Then, it was the turn of an emotional player as his final few
:19:07. > :19:16.weeks will be playable stop I am struggling at the moment. It is
:19:16. > :19:20.massive, I am done with Ireland in a few weeks and I have had a great
:19:20. > :19:25.time. It is a great team and a great bunch of lads and means a lot
:19:25. > :19:30.to us. At temps are continuing to convince
:19:30. > :19:37.them to prolong his career. -- attempt. But for the time being,
:19:37. > :19:40.players and supporters can enjoy island's best ever World Cup result.
:19:40. > :19:44.For Ulster, it's three wins out of three in the Pro Twelve after a
:19:44. > :19:47.routine 23-3 win over Cardiff Blues at Ravenhill. Two first half tries
:19:47. > :19:53.from Darren Cave sealed the win for Brian McLaughlin's side in the
:19:53. > :19:56.driving rain. Despite being 17-0 up at half time, Ulster failed to then
:19:56. > :20:06.secure a bonus point after the break but the win moved them up to
:20:06. > :20:10.
:20:10. > :20:15.second in the table. It was a strange kind of game. I thought we
:20:15. > :20:17.defended well, and I didn't think they would give us too many
:20:17. > :20:19.problems. There were 25 goals scored in the
:20:19. > :20:22.Carling Irish Premiership at the weekend. Matthew Tipton scored two
:20:22. > :20:32.crucial ones for Portadown to help them beat the champions Linfild to
:20:32. > :20:39.
:20:39. > :20:44.move into joint first place at the top of the table.
:20:44. > :20:48.It is a nice, definitely. We have studied this season very well. We
:20:48. > :20:58.knew there were a lot of games coming in, and we just took one at
:20:58. > :21:32.
:21:32. > :21:41.that time, and we got true her high There were two scores to pour more
:21:41. > :21:48.misery. And after three league games without a victory, they got
:21:48. > :21:51.back to winning ways at the Oval. It was a thrilling climax to the
:21:51. > :21:57.Gaelic football season. Dublin beat Kerry to win the All Ireland
:21:57. > :22:07.Championship for the first time in 16 years. And it was the goal
:22:07. > :22:07.
:22:07. > :22:17.keeper who was the hero, but not for his saves.
:22:17. > :22:26.
:22:26. > :22:36.If Stephen Cluxton was nervous, he did not show it. The heartbeat of
:22:36. > :22:38.
:22:38. > :22:44.Dublin's support erupted. It was a victory that looks so unlikely just
:22:44. > :22:49.a few minutes earlier. Kerry have won more crowns than any other
:22:49. > :22:57.county, and while it wasn't a vintage display from the asked the
:22:57. > :23:06.Giants, they found themselves four. Up with time ticking down.
:23:07. > :23:13.Substitute Kevin help them to believe once again. 82,000 fans
:23:13. > :23:18.were on the edge of their seats as both sides swapped the lead. But
:23:18. > :23:23.this was to be Stephen Cluxton's day. He became the first goalkeeper
:23:23. > :23:32.to score in an Ireland final, securing a titled their fans feel
:23:32. > :23:36.is long overdue. Nearly everyone has heard of Red
:23:36. > :23:39.Rum, even those who don't follow horseracing. Today the sport is in
:23:39. > :23:43.mourning today with the news that the legendary national hunt trainer,
:23:43. > :23:46.Ginger McCain, has died. McCain famously saddled Red Rum to win the
:23:46. > :23:52.Grand National three times, in 1973, 1974 and 1977, firing the public's
:23:52. > :23:54.enthusiasm for the race. Then, more than 25 years later, he won the
:23:54. > :24:00.world's greatest steeplechase for a remarkable fourth time with
:24:00. > :24:03.Amberleigh House in 2004. Heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury
:24:03. > :24:08.remains unbeaten after winning his latest bout in Belfast on Saturday
:24:08. > :24:11.night. Playing heavily on his Irish roots, Fury entered the Kings Hall
:24:11. > :24:14.very much a new local hero, but he was rocking in the third after
:24:14. > :24:21.being caught by a flurry of punches by his American opponent Nicolai
:24:21. > :24:27.Firtha. Fury rode out that scare and went on to dominate the fight,
:24:27. > :24:29.forcing a fifth round stoppage for his seventeenth straight career win.
:24:29. > :24:32.Meanwhile, in Paris, Great Britain and Ireland, captained by Paul
:24:32. > :24:35.McGinley, won the Seve Trophy, beating Europe 15.5 points to 12.5
:24:35. > :24:44.with Darren Clarke, on the extreme left here, contributing 1.5 points
:24:44. > :24:47.to the winning total. And the Belfast Giants are top of
:24:47. > :24:49.the Elite League after back-to-back weekend wins, including an 8-1
:24:49. > :24:54.demolition of the Edinburgh Capitals on Saturday night at the
:24:54. > :25:04.Odyssey. Finally, Ireland's cricketers have
:25:04. > :25:24.
:25:24. > :25:29.beaten Canada by 133 runs in the It was on this day in 1819 that
:25:29. > :25:34.John Keats referred to those of mists and mellow fruitfulness. We
:25:34. > :25:38.haven't seen a lot of it so far though. Apart from the odd dry and
:25:38. > :25:43.bright spell, we have got more of rain on the way. We are talking
:25:44. > :25:48.about hill fog and damp weather. It is raining just about everywhere
:25:48. > :25:52.across Northern Ireland, and is likely to stay that way. Some
:25:52. > :25:57.moderate path is of rain around, and if you are in the South East,
:25:57. > :26:01.you might notice the breeze picking up a little bit. But the weather
:26:01. > :26:08.will not last all night. So many parts turn drier throughout the
:26:08. > :26:18.night. We might get the odd pocket of mist here in their. For most of
:26:18. > :26:22.
:26:22. > :26:29.us, we are talking at a tavern at ten Celsius was up for tomorrow, a
:26:29. > :26:34.few showers. By the end of the rush hour, those showers will appear.
:26:34. > :26:41.They will continue on and off into the afternoon, but becoming fewer
:26:42. > :26:47.as the day wears on. Stump places will avoid them altogether. Parts
:26:47. > :26:54.of Belfast could stay dry throughout the day with pleasant
:26:54. > :27:02.spells of sunshine. Today we saw highs of 18. Tomorrow it will feel
:27:02. > :27:07.fresher: Highs of 15-16 degrees at best. Hopefully, the showers will
:27:07. > :27:14.not be like Friday afternoon. Her elderly, the evening will be
:27:14. > :27:20.clearer. That breeze will pick up and continue to pick up through
:27:20. > :27:25.tomorrow night, but more so towards the north and west. We will find
:27:25. > :27:30.showers starting to become prolonged by the end of the night.
:27:30. > :27:35.That band of rain gradually works its way south. We are in for a wet
:27:35. > :27:43.and windy spell for a time. There will be more showers to come for
:27:43. > :27:46.Finally, a reminder of the stories making the headlines:
:27:46. > :27:50.Martin McGuiness tells BBC Newsline he has no fear of standing before
:27:50. > :27:53.the people of Ireland for the Irish Presidency.
:27:53. > :27:57.A court hears a Newry pensioner may have been sexually assaulted after