Story highlights Clinton urges people to continue building peace in Northern Ireland

Praises Irish PM for comments at Trump White House visit

(CNN) Former US President Bill Clinton traveled to Derry, Northern Ireland, on Thursday to give an impassioned eulogy at the funeral of former Irish Republican Army (IRA) commander and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness.

Clinton told the hundreds of people who packed St. Columba's Church in Derry's historic Bogside neighborhood to honor McGuinness by finishing his work to help bring peace to Northern Ireland.

McGuinness died Monday night after a short illness, according to the Sinn Fein party. He was 66.

McGuinness became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator during the Northern Ireland peace process, working with Clinton on the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Former US President Bill Clinton touches the coffin Thursday of Martin McGuinness, the Northern Ireland politician and one-time IRA commander

Speaking of McGuinness' transformation from onetime republican terrorist to peacemaker, Clinton said, "Somewhere along the way, for whatever reason, he decided to give peace a chance. Some of the reasons were principled, some were practical, but he decided."

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