Personal Security
Mary had to be highly cautious when traveling to meet people and conducting sensitive discussions aimed at reducing interface tensions and preventing violence. She remained deeply vigilant, constantly watching to see if she was being followed. On one occasion, while traveling to meet Loyalists, she noticed she was being tailed and raised her concerns with them. They confirmed her suspicions and gave her practical advice on how to evade detection. She fully understood why they then brought her into a house and escorted her out the back door to an alternative location, even advising her to leave her phone in the car until she returned.
In the winter, during dark evenings before Mary had her LASIK eye surgery, I would drive her car to these interface monitoring sessions to help curb sectarian trouble. During these trips, we frequently observed undercover police and military personnel trailing us. On the empty streets, it was impossible for them to blend in.
On another occasion, she met with Secretary of State John Reid in his office at Stormont Castle, surrounded by his aides. Later, while traveling to Banbridge, she was shocked to spot one of those very same aides tailing her car. She calmly let him know he had been spotted by waving at him, leaving him visibly startled. When Mary later confronted John Reid about the incident, he simply replied, "There are people here I have no control over."