Dad of IRA bomb victim pays tribute

Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness, who has died aged 66. McGuinness. Photo credit Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

The former IRA leader-turned-peacemaker died in the early hours of yesterday morning aged 66.

Chorley-born Colin Parry’s 12-year-old son Tim died from his injuries after being caught up in an IRA bombing in Warrington in 1993.

Speaking after the death of Mr McGuinness, Mr Parry said that although he would never forgive the politician he believed he was “sincere in his desire and maintaining the peace process at all costs.”

Colin and Wendy Parry. Photo credit: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Mr Parry added: “I don’t think anything in his most recent life can atone - that said he was still a brave man who put himself in some risk in some elements of his own community in Northern Ireland.”

The death of the Sinn Fein leader came 24 years - almost to the day - after a bomb, which had been planted in a bin in Warrington went off, killing Tim. He had been shopping for football shorts.

The Parrys became committed peace campaigners and met Mr McGuinness when he was working on the Northern Ireland peace process.

Mr Parry founded the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace and has spoken at Runshaw College in Leyland and the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.

Monday marked the 24th anniversary of Tim’s death and Mr Parry posted a message on Twitter which said: “It is 8.25am and at this time 24 years ago, my son Tim had just four more hours of his life left before the world shattered around him. RIP Tim”

Colin met his wife Wendy at a factory in Chorley. She was living in Coppull, and Colin was working at Plessey telecoms factory in Carr Lane as a personnel manager.

The couple went on to get married and have three children, and eventually ended up living in Warrington.