Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume dies aged 83
Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Irish politician John Hume has died aged 83.
He passed away in Londonderry early this morning, following a short illness and ending a years-long battle with dementia.
One of Ireland’s most well-known politicians in the second-half of the twentieth century, Hume was leader of the SDLP between 1979 and 2001.
He is most recognised for steering Ireland as it negotiated an end to the Troubles, a feat for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize alongside David Trimble in 1998.
In a statement, his family said: “John was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather and a brother.
“He was very much loved, and his loss will be deeply felt by all his extended family.”
Hume became a leading figure in the civil rights movement in the late 1960s, joining the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1973 and serving as its minister of commerce for a short time. He also later served as a UK MP and as a member of the European Parliament.
He is credited with being behind many of Ireland’s political achievements while he was in office, including the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the Belfast Agreement and the Sunningdale Agreement.
Hume also established the Derry Credit Union, and was the youngest ever president of the Irish League of Credit Unions when he took on the role at the age of 27.
His family’s statement added: “It seems particularly apt for these strange and fearful days to remember the phrase that gave hope to John and so many of us through dark times: we shall overcome.”
A funeral will be arranged for Hume in due course, which will comply with government restrictions on attendance during the coronavirus pandemic. A memorial service and celebration of his life will follow.
“Above all, we know that John would have prioritised public health, and the safety and health of our communities. We are grateful for your condolences and support, and we appreciate that you will respect the family’s right to privacy at this time of great loss,” they said.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said in a statement: “The death of John Hume represents the loss of 20th century Ireland’s most significant and consequential political figure.”
“This is an historic moment on this island but most of all it is a moment of deep, deep sadness.”