A tribute to John Hume

The death of the Nobel Peace winner and veteran campaigner for peace and justice is a seminal moment in Irish history. John Hume put himself on the line, both physically, when he faced violence and arrest by the British army and the RUC during the civil rights campaign in the 60s and 70s and morally, when he continued to negotiate with Sinn Fein and the IRA for peace in the 80s and 90s. He is rightly regarded as one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement which finally meant the recognition of the right of the nationalist minority in the North of Ireland to Irish identity and to their right to share power after decades of being regarded and treated as second class citizens. Hume worked internationally and in the European Parliament where he was an MEP for many years, to draw the two communities together to bring the cause of justice and peace in the North of Ireland to an international audience.

It is noteworthy that today on the day of his death that he has been described by many as the Martin Luther King of the struggle for equality in the North of Ireland. He has been recognised by all sections of British and Irish politics as having been a leader of stature who was never afraid to campaign for peace and justice in the North of Ireland. Mary Lou McDonald, leader of Sinn Fein today described him as “a towering figure, a national icon”. We mark his passing and his achievements as a leader never afraid to speak truth to power.

Joseph Healy