The final episode begins with Dr Paisley on the political fringes. The Good Friday Agreement was celebrated as a new dawn, with power sharing agreed in Northern Ireland. But Paisley and his party, the DUP, were vocally opposed to it.
Needing a huge comeback to be considered a credible force in politics once again, the DUP devised a strategy to attack their political competitors. The watershed moment finally came in 2003, when the DUP became the largest party in Stormont. But to make it into government, the famously uncompromising Ian Paisley was asked to share power with Sinn Fein, once the political wing of the IRA.
After years of negotiation and failed attempts, a deal was finally struck. Ian Paisley was celebrated by many; the man who came in from the extremes agreed to share power with his bitterest enemies and became first minister in Stormont. It was a monumental moment for his family, the DUP and the people of Northern Ireland.
But Dr Paisley had spent a lifetime teaching his followers not to trust those who dealt with Republicans. Fractures were developing within the Free Presbyterian Church he had founded. For some of them, Paisley's compromise was unforgivable. Rebels soon moved against Paisley, forcing him to cede control of the church.
Ian Paisley was in his 80s, and questions were being asked of his capability as first minister. Hindered by controversies affecting his son, Ian Paisley Jr, longstanding senior party members moved in to limit the damage, giving Ian Paisley Sr no option but to resign as leader of his party and step down as first minister of Northern Ireland.
Ian Paisley, or ‘Dr No', had dominated oppositional politics in Northern Ireland for 50 years, but when he finally said yes, he lost both the church and party he had founded.
Apr. 3, 2023
