But I make a distinction between the doctrines of the Church, which matter, and the structure invented by half a dozen Italians who got to be pope and which is of very little use to anybody.

Yesterday I dared to struggle. Today I dare to win.

It did not seem to me that prejudice, poverty, discrimination, repression and racism were confined to the North of Ireland. I could see them everywhere I spoke and still cannot comprehend the mentality that argues that I should have pretended not to see them, because it wasn't my business.

We were born into an unjust system we are not prepared to grow old in it.

The Irish aren't great singers, but they have great songs.

I think my life will always be worth living, though I don't imagine it being very easy.

... in Northern Ireland, if you don't have basic Christianity, rather than merely religion, all you get out of the experience of living is bitterness.

I went to a very militantly Republican grammar school and, under its influence, began to revolt against the Establishment, on thesimple rule of thumb, highly satisfying to a ten-year-old, that Irish equals good, English equals bad.

It wasn't long before people discovered the final horrors of letting an urchin into Parliament.

I'm not good enough to be a saint and not bad enough to be interesting.

Basically, I have no place in organized politics. By coming to the British Parliament, I've allowed the people to sacrifice me at the top and let go the more effective job I should be doing at the bottom.

To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else