Gerry Adams first met Fr Alec Reid when Gerry was interned in the cages of Long Kesh in the early to mid-1970s. It was an encounter that began a lifelong friendship between the two men.
An encounter that neither man knew back then would lead to peace in Ireland and the transformation of politics on this island and between the people of Ireland and Britain. Martin McGuinness first met Fr Alec with Gerry Adams in the late 1980s following Sinn Fein's launch of its 'Scenario for Peace' document. He said of Fr Alec, "Of those I met on the road less travelled, the road to peace, Fr Alec was the most serious, the most influential of them all."
Danny Morrison recalled his first meeting with the priest. It was in October 1975 during the feud between the IRA and Officials. Fr Alec walked into the republican Press Centre on the Falls road asking to meet the Belfast leadership. For several days a mortal feud had raged which claimed the lives of 11 people. Fr Alec mediated between both sides and helped end the killing, said Danny.
With the help of Fr Reid a network of mediators was put in place which both IRAs used to avoid further feuding.
Alex Maskey first met Fr Reid in the mid-1980s and remembers particularly attempts to ensure that the funeral of IRA member Finbar McKenna was able to be held with dignity and respect.
At the time the RUC were attacking the funerals of IRA personnel killed in the conflict. Fr Reid acted as a go-between in Clonard Monastery to try to ensure that Finbar McKenna's funeral was not attacked.
Alex also recalled the burden Fr Reid carried when he had to engage with loyalists following a number of random sectarian killings of Catholics, seeking "explanations" and an end to such killings.
He said Fr Reid was as equally passionate about ending the injustice inflicted on the nationalist people as he was about ending the armed struggle by republicans.
Alex found Fr Reid a caring and thoughtful person. Every Christmas Day and Easter Sunday he rang Alex's home and spoke to Liz, his wife, and enquired after the family's health.
Tom Hartley, an altar boy at Clonard Monastery in the early 1960s, remembers Fr Reid coming to the area as a young curate. Through Tom's father the Hartley family had a long association with Clonard. Tom recalled that Fr Reid, a Tipperary man, quickly rooted himself in that community and catered for its spiritual and practical needs especially when the conflict visited it.
Fr Reid ministered the Last rites to two British soldiers shot dead by the IRA at the funeral of Kevin Brady in Andersonstown in March 1988. A photographer captured that dramatic moment with Fr Reid kneeling over the bodies of the two men - on his cheek was the blood of one of the soldiers.
I first met the priest in Clonard Monastery in late September 1980 with Gerry
Adams, Danny Morrison and Tom Hartley. Fr Reid introduced us to Fr Brendan Maher, a fellow member of the redemptorist Order. Throughout 1980 Gerry and Danny had met Cardinal O Fiach about the deteriorating situation in the H-Blocks and Armagh women's prison amidst strong rumours that a hunger strike was to begin in October. Fathers Reid and Maher played significant mediation roles in the harrowing 1980 and 1981 hunger strikes to the detriment in both cases of their own health.
I met Fr Reid several times over the years leading up to the IRA's 1994 ceasefire.
Physically he was a slight man, by instinct he was a humble man, by training he was scholarly and a deep thinker, by priestly-bearing he was spiritual, other worldly.
By life's learning he was immensely patient; in his mission to bring peace to Ireland he was single minded, relentless and dogged.
Fr Reid was a redemptorist - their missionary zeal is to help the poor and marginalised with Christ's message of love, respect and dignity for all in this life.
It was excellent training for him in preparation for the historic task of persuading enemies to come to the table and make peace.
Fr Alec can rest lightly. His mission achieved for the people of Ireland.