After ten years Paisley signs deal

By John Cunningham
BBC News

He was one of its most vociferous opponents, but 10 years after the Good Friday Agreement, Ian Paisley has finally put his name on it, if not quite signed up to it.

Not only that but he chose to sign it in Cork - known for more than 500 years as the Rebel County.

It was all for a good cause though, Mr Paisley signed a copy to be auctioned for charity.

The copy will be auctioned for charity

"That is the one and only time my signature will be on this", he told local solicitor Charlie Daly, who had asked the question no politician had previously received a yes to.

"When it was explained to him what it was for - to advance the tennis club so children could play there and so on - there was no problem at all," explained Mr Daly.

The unique document will be auctioned in September.

Mr Paisley was in Cork over the weekend for an official visit as Northern Ireland's first minister. Afterwards he paid tribute to the reception he received.