FILLING the Big Man's shoes in Northern Ireland would not be an easy task. So it's hardly surprising that Dr Ian Paisley's twin sons, Ian and Kyle, while still opting to follow him, have taken a shoe each one in politics, the other as a minister in the Free Presbyterian Church.
It was a happy moment for the family when Ian junior, who was before the electorate for the first time, was elected alongside his father yesterday in the North Antrim constituency. An ebullient Ian Paisley senior spoke of his delight at their double victory.
While it seems inevitable that Ian junior will remain in his father's shadow for as long as the older Paisley continues in politics, the fatherly advice he received yesterday was to stand on his own. "He must be Ian Paisley his own man, not a replica of his father. The people of Northern Ireland have given him their vote of confidence and I am very happy about that."
Traditionally there has been strong support for the Democratic Unionist Party in north Antrim. In the last election it got 23,000 votes, giving a majority of 15,000. The party campaigned hard in this constituency and was confident of two seats yesterday and had hoped for a third, which it missed by only a handful of votes.
Throughout the day, Ian Paisley senior reiterated that he would not be sitting down with Sinn Fein nor with Loyalist paramilitaries.
Asked about his relationship now with the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, he jovially responded that fences would be mended if he "is with me in Drumcree this year".