The parents of two young IRA bomb victims have come face-to-face with Sinn Féin’s chief negotiator Mr Martin McGuinness.
Tim Parry (12) and three-year-old Johnathan Ball died when two bombs tore through Warrington town centre in 1993.
Their parents Colin and Wendy Parry, Wilf Ball and Marie Comerford met Mr McGuinness to talk about the peace process.
The parents had a private meeting with Mr McGuinness for over an hour. Afterwards, Mr Colin Parry said it had not made him feel any different about the death of his son.
He said: "He was an unnecessary victim, one of 3,000-odd unnecessary victims in Northern Ireland, but I never expected meeting Mr McGuinness to make me feel different about the death of my son.
"I will look back on this meeting as a particularly important one."
Mr McGuinness praised both sets of parents for their work in influencing the peace process.
At the time of the atrocity, the then Taoiseach Mr Albert Reynolds said the double bombing had inspired him and then UK Prime Minister Mr John Major's efforts to find a peace for Northern Ireland.
Mr McGuinness said: "I think the events of the last 30 years have been very difficult for everybody and I think it is very important that the concert tonight is entitled A New Beginning. What we have seen on the island of Ireland is a new beginning for all of us."
Mr McGuinness declined to say whether he had, on behalf of the IRA, apologised to either sets of parents.
PA