McGuinness - from paramilitary to politicianpublished at 18:40 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January 2017
As Martin McGuinness steps down from elected politics, BBC News NI looks back at his career.
Summary
Martin McGuinness, former IRA leader turned peacemaker, has confirmed he will not seek re-election in the Northern Ireland Assembly election.
He quit as deputy first minister earlier this month in a row over a botched green energy scheme, sparking an election on 2 March.
He had been in the post since entering NI's power-sharing assembly in 2007 with ex-political enemy Ian Paisley.
Mr McGuinness, 66, has been ill for a number of weeks and said this was a factor in his decision.
McGuinness - from paramilitary to politicianpublished at 18:40 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January 2017
'I have to be very honest with myself'published at 18:31 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January 2017
Martin McGuinness said he had asked himself whether he was "physically capable" of fighting this election and had had to be "very honest with myself" when answering that question.
McGuinness: In his own wordspublished at 18:29 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January 2017
McGuinness had intended to continue until Maypublished at 18:24 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January 2017
Mr McGuinness said it had been his "full intention" to continue until 8 May as deputy first minister and then stand aside to make way for a new Sinn Féin deputy first minister.
"That would obviously... have meant a generational change and, of course, people will be very anxious to know who will succeed me but you will know that next week, the person that will succeed me has my fullest confidence."
'I provided way out for Arlene and she refused'published at 18:18 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January 2017
The controversy surrounding renewable heating scheme led Martin McGuinness to resign as deputy first minister. Calls by Sinn Féin for Arlene Foster to step down were resisted by the then first minister.
Mr McGuinness recalled a conversation with Mrs Foster: "What I'm asking for is your co-operation, to do what Peter (Robinson) did previously, stand aside for three or four weeks to allow an interim report to come in .... and she refused to do it and I think if she had of taken my advice we could have averted all of the difficulties, the extreme difficulties, that we've had to face in the course of recent times."
McGuinness says 'not physically able to fight election'published at 18:15 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January 2017
Mr McGuinness said of his health situation: "It has taken its toll on me but I'm very determined to overcome it and I'm very determined to overcome it to an extent where I can be very much involved in the whole process of peace, unity and reconciliation.
Image caption, Former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness
"The question I ask myself is are you capable, are you physically capable of fighting this election with the intensity that elections need to be fought? And the honest answer is that I am not physically capable or able to fight this election so I will not be a candidate in the upcoming election."
Martin McGuinness not seeking re-electionpublished at 18:09 Greenwich Mean Time 19 January 2017
The former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness has announced he will not be seeking re-election to the Assembly.
Image source, bbcHe resigned earlier this month from his post in protest against the handling of a botched energy scheme that could cost taxpayers £490m. Mr McGuinness said at the time that his health had "nothing to do" with his decision to quit but said in a statement on Thursday that his health situation was a "serious illness".