Such a sad day here in Northern Ireland saying goodbye to a true giant of a leader who was the instrument of peace here and a tireless campaigner for civil rights. The peace process in Northern Ireland and the subsequent Good Friday Agreement would not have happened without him and for that I am forever grateful.
"Difference is an accident of birth" was something he often said. "Our quarrel is not about religion even though that is was it is often described as .... it is about identity." This was and still is the truth of our situation here and he was the first person who really was able to speak about it openly and fairly. This speech he gave to the Nobel Committee is well worth a listen if you're interested.
I had the privilege of meeting John once and he was a lovely gentle man and today he has been honoured by political leaders all over the world as well as on both sides of our community here and has been described as our Martin Luther King.
John Hume - Rest in Peace. We will not see your like again.