John Hume remembered as key architect of NI peace process
Former SDLP leader John Hume is being hailed as one of the key architects of the peace process in Northern Ireland, amid tributes from across political divides in the wake of his passing.
The veteran politician, who held the Foyle seat in Westminster for 22 years, started out as a teacher before emerging as one of the leading members of the civil rights movement in the late 1960s.
Mr Hume then embarked on a political career when he was first elected to Stormont as an independent nationalist MP at the age of 32, before going on to help create the SDLP.
By 1979, he was party leader and his involvement in the 1980s in secret talks between the UK government and Sinn Féin started to pave the way forward.
Multi-party talks followed the IRA ceasefires of the 1990s and the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 saw a power-sharing government finally formed at Stormont.
Mr Hume and then UUP leader David Trimble were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in bringing about peace.
Mr Hume retired from politics in 2004 due to ill health, but those paying tribute say his legacy will long be remembered.
Current SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has led the tributes, saying: “The death of John Hume represents the loss of 20th century Ireland’s most significant and consequential political figure.
“It is no exaggeration to say that each and every one of us now lives in the Ireland Hume imagined – an island at peace and free to decide its own destiny.”
Of Mr Hume’s role in the Good Friday Agreement, Mr Eastwood noted: “John was not simply the Agreement’s architect or its builder, he was very much both.
“He will forever remain its enduring inspiration.”
Video: Colum Eastwood joins Marc Mallett in Derry to pay tribute to John Hume
He added: “John Hume once summed up his political philosophy in saying: ‘I never thought in terms of being a leader. I thought very simply in terms of helping people.’
“The simplicity of that statement remains a powerful insight into the patriotic devotion that came to define the man.
"Having spent his life in the service of others, no-one is more deserving of the eternal rest which now awaits him.”
Leaders from across Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Ireland and beyond – past and present - have all acknowledged Mr Hume’s significant place in the history books.
Former US President Bill Clinton said: “Hillary and I are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend John Hume, who fought his long war for peace in Northern Ireland.
“His chosen weapons: an unshakeable commitment to nonviolence, persistence, kindness and love.
“With his enduring sense of honor, he kept marching on against all odds towards a brighter future for all the children of Northern Ireland.”
Reflecting on how they walked across the Peace Bridge in Derry together in 1995, Mr Clinton added: “His legacy will live on in every generation of Northern Ireland’s young people who make John’s choice, to live free of the hatred and horror of sectarian violence.
“And it will endure in the hearts of those of us who loved him and will be shaped by his example to the end of our days.
“Our love and prayers are with Pat, their children and grandchildren. May he rest in peace, never losing the twinkle in his eye or the sly smile that lighted our lives.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was “quite simply a political giant”, while Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was “one of the towering figures of Irish public life of the last century”.
Former prime minister Tony Blair, who was in Number 10 when the Good Friday Agreement was signed, hailed him as "a political titan - a visionary who refused to believe the future had to be the same as the past”.
He added: “His contribution to peace in Northern Ireland was epic and he will rightly be remembered for it. He was insistent it was possible, tireless in pursuit of it, and endlessly creative in seeking ways of making it happen.”
First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster said: “John was a giant figure in Irish nationalism, but also in the wider life of Northern Ireland.
“Whilst he was recognised across the world, there can be no doubt however that his loss will be most keenly felt in his home city.”
Deputy First Minister and Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill added: “John was a huge figure in Irish politics for many years and was known the world over for his peace-making efforts.
“He was a leader who worked tirelessly for the community and his beloved Derry.”
A book of condolence is being opened at the Guildhall in memory of Mr Hume.
Watch: John Hume - The Path to PeaceFrom humble beginnings to architect of peace in Northern Ireland, John Hume's remarkable contribution is recalled in his own words and by those who witnessed the long road to the Good Friday Agreement in a UTV special programme looking back at his life.