Murder of friends across the divide inspired concept of joint first ministers

The murder of two best friends inspired the original concept of a joint office of the First and deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland.

Damien Trainor and Philip Allen were killed by the LVF in a bar in Poyntzpass, Co Down, just weeks before the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement was signed.

The murder of the friends, one of whom was Catholic and the other Protestant, saw then UUP leader David Trimble and SDLP deputy leader Seamus Mallon take a break from the political talks for a powerful display of unity.

SDLP negotiator Mark Durkan told the PA news agency that their friendship inspired him to propose a joint First and deputy First Minister for the new Assembly.

However he said the original concept, where the Assembly voted in the First and deputy First Ministers, was changed in the St Andrew’s Agreement in 2006 to allow the largest party to nominate a First Minister, and second largest to nominate a deputy First Minister, without an Assembly vote.

This has seen periods of paralysis, from 2017-2020 when Sinn Fein refused to nominate a deputy First Minister, and more recently when the DUP refused to nominate.

Looking back to 1998, Mr Durkan said Mr Mallon told him that it was important that the talks were seen to be going on so “political dialogue was seen to have primacy over violence”.

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