Hello, today I'm talking face to face to someone who's taken a step back from frontline politics,

but who for years was a prominent player on the local political landscape.

He was a crusading Belfast City councillor for his party, an MLA, and for a short time, Stormont's Minister for Finance.

He's well known as a businessman with media interests in Ireland and in the United

States and he's also a passionate advocate for the Irish language. Marchine O'Meer, welcome to Red Lines.

Thank you, Mark. Nice to be here. We'll come on to the high politics in a moment or two, but I want

to start with your formative years. Were you born into a political household?

I was born into the most apolitical household

you could imagine and it makes you think just what,

how things were here pre-69.

We had no Irish music in the house.

We didn't listen to what people called Athlone at the time.

Glenn Campbell was the music du jour in our home. We didn't play to what people called Athlone at the time. Glenn Campbell was the music du jour in our home.

We didn't play Gaelic sports.

So I had really no contact with All-Iland culture even.

Certainly we didn't speak Irish.

So my parents were hard-working people.

There were seven millers.

They did put an emphasis on education. I did my best to

try and thwart their ambitions for my educational elevation. But I think that made the real

difference in our house that they insisted we learn at school, do our homework, study hard and get work.

Although I don't think that little cliche about the Catholics knew they had to educate

...