Maura Lyons: Why did Ian Paisley 'kidnap' a 15-year-old girl? | The BelTel

The Rev Ian Paisley rose to prominence as the face of hardline unionism and later as the First Minister of Northern Ireland. But for some, the first time they would have heard of him would have been in connection with Maura Lyons. In 1956, he made headlines after the west Belfast teenager Maura Lyons was smuggled illegally to Scotland by members of the Free Presbyterian Church. Maura Lyons was 15-year-old Catholic girl who converted to Free Presbyterianism, in the face of the strong objections of her family. Maura was missing from her home for over six months – fleeing her family and religion. They accused the Rev Ian Paisley of “abduction”, whatever the term involved should be, there is no doubt of his involvement in the case. At one point, he gathered his supporters in the Ulster Hall to listen to a recording of Maura’s voice at the Ulster Hall. On the tape she renounced her Catholic faith as a “religion of fear and dread”. Eventually the courts forced her return home but with some conditions – her family couldn’t convert her back to Catholicism, and she was to have no contact with the Rev Ian Paisley. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by journalist Malachi O’Doherty, who grew up in west Belfast. #Ianpaisley #dup #history #thetroubles #northernireland #podcast #historypodcast