Memorial for Ian Paisley to be held in Belfast next month

A memorial service for Ian Paisley, the former Northern Ireland first minister and Democratic Unionist Party founder, will be held in Belfast next month.

Dr Paisley’s family held a private funeral following his death aged 88 on September 12th but they had indicated their intent to stage a memorial at a later date.

The service is to take place at the Ulster Hall on Sunday October 19th. It will be an invitation only memorial but will also be broadcast on BBC Northern Ireland.

Baroness Eileen Paisley last night thanked the press for respecting the family's request for privacy during the time after her husband's death.

Dr Paisley, who for most of his career opposed attempts to create a powersharing administration between unionists and nationalists, concluded his political career with an historic agreement with Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.

He was probably the most fiery, uncompromising and bellicose Ulster politician throughout the Troubles.

But late in life, one of the most turbulent figures in Northern Ireland politics throughout the 20th century underwent a transformation.

The former moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church had been in frail health for months before his death.

Ian Richard Kyle Paisley was born on April 6th, 1926, the son of a Baptist minister. He gave his first sermon at the age of 16. He was ordained in 1946 and was Moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster in 1951. From the early 1960s, Dr Paisley became little short of a colossus in Northern Ireland political affairs.

He is survived by his wife Eileen, whom he married in 1956. They have two sons - Ian Jnr holds his father's former Westminster seat, while Kyle is a minister in his father's church - and three daughters, Rhonda, Sharon and Cherith.