He was the IRA commander turned politician who helped negotiate peace in Northern Ireland after decades of sectarian violence, forming a power-sharing government at Stormont with old enemies.
The reaction to the death of Martin McGuinness on Tuesday following ill health reflects the complexity of the former deputy first minister and his paramilitary and peacemaking past. Opinion on the 66 year old from Londonderry and his contribution is as divided in death as it was in life. 
To some such as the republicans who attended a candlelit vigil in Donagh on Tuesday night he was the Sinn Fein leader who stood up for the oppressed, fought the British and helped to forge peace. To others, such as those who lost loved ones in the Enniskillen bombing in 1987 he was the former senior commander of an organisation that killed and injured scores of men, women and children, a man some of them have described this week as a criminal. And to his family, he was only ever a husband, father and grandfather.
Mr. McGuinness never shied away from his IRA past and spoke with pride of the “revolutionary force” then in his 50s he publicly declared “my war is over” as he embarked on governing with the Democratic Unionist Party’s Ian Paisley, then Peter Robinson and most recently Arlene Foster. However, after becoming seriously ill at a time when the political process was thrown into crisis over the ‘cash for ash’ scandal resulting in a feud with Mrs. Foster he resigned in December last year and Stormont collapsed. 
Over a year ago Mr. McGuinness visited Fermanagh Trust with Mrs. Foster, the then first minister, to endorse shared education and spoke of the fact they both hailed from west of the Bann.
He talked about wanting to “build a friendship” with Mrs. Foster but cautiously added: “I keep meeting people within the community, my community, who say I am doing too much reaching out, who say it is not being reciprocated. I say, that’s not a good enough reason for me to stop doing it and I intend to continue to do it because it’s the right thing to do,” he said.
Yesterday (Wednesday) Mrs. Foster signed a book of condolence for Mr. McGuinness at Stormont. 
Paying tribute to him this week, the Democratic Unionist leader whose family suffered at the hands of the IRA, said history will record differing views on the role Mr. McGuinness played “throughout the recent and not so recent past” but added: “History will also show that his contribution to the political and peace process was significant.”
“In recent years his contribution helped build the relative peace we now enjoy.,” she said, adding that he faced his illness, believed to be a rare heart condition, “with courage.”
Sinn Fein MLA Michelle Gildernew said she was “deeply saddened” by the death of her friend.
“He was always a gentleman, a kind, compassionate and warm person with a great sense of humour who loved his country and strove for peace and equality in Ireland,” she said.
Asked how she responds to those who do not share her sentiments, Ms. Gildernew said: “Victims and survivors of the conflict no matter what side they are on will look at Martin’s contribution. As Gerry Adams said, Martin McGuinness didn’t go to war, the war came to him.” Sinn Fein’s Sean Lynch said: “He will go down as one of the key figures in the politics of this country” while Jemma Dolan said Mr. McGuinness “taught me and my generation so much.”
Rev. Ivan Foster, a retired Free Presbyterian minister and former DUP politician and close ally to the late Ian Paisley rejected descriptions of Mr. McGuinness as a statesman.
“Those who say such things are themselves deceived and demonstrate this by their unwillingness to see the wickedness of the man.”
There have not been any tears shed this week by some families of IRA victims in Fermanagh, including those still impacted by the Enniskillen bombing in 1987 which left 12 dead in total. 
Margaret Veitch, whose parents William and Agnes Mullan were killed in the IRA atrocity, said she would not gloat over his death. “But I certainly won’t be sending any sympathy card because I got no sympathy card from them [the IRA].” she told Press Association. 
Stephen Gault, who witnessed his father Samuel (49) being killed in the attack, said: “Martin McGuinness has taken to the grave the truth and the answers that we need to be able to move forward. He knows who bombed Enniskillen. I will always remember Martin McGuinness as the terrorist he was,” he said. 
Mr. McGuinness repeatedly denied any link to the bombing despite numerous allegations, including in 2015 when it was claimed that the Northern Ireland Office had prevented the Historical Enquiries Team from questioning him about the atrocity. The year before, Mr. McGuinness was asked by The Impartial Reporter to detail what he knew about the bomb: “I don’t know anything about the Enniskillen bomb,” he replied. “The Enniskillen bomb was a terrible tragedy, and my heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones.”
He added: “The reality is that at some stage people are going to have to decide that the contributions that people like myself and Gerry Adams make to peace are worthwhile contributions.” And it is his contribution in moving from the Armalite to the ballot box to even shaking hands with The Queen that will be debated and discussed in the years ahead.
Mr. McGuinness told The Impartial Reporter last year that he was a “spiritual person” who believed in peace and reconciliation. “I go to Mass, I believe in God. I actually believe the God I believe in is the same one Peter Robinson believes in, that Arlene Foster believes in. I don’t believe that I am any better in the eyes of God than Peter Robinson, Arlene Foster or Ian Paisley,” he said.
Later this afternoon Mr. McGuinness’ funeral mass will take place at St. Columba’s Church in Londonderry and afterwards he will be buried at the City Cemetery, the final chapter in the long journey of a paramilitary turned peace maker.