QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“He was a remarkable man. He became a friend. You couldn’t help but be friendly with him. It was easy because I shared his goals, we wanted to get to a peace agreement, but I also appreciated the fact that he had fought too long and hard and still managed to be a real person with a real life. I just admired him and I liked him and he was good company. I loved being with him.”
Former US President Bill Clinton leads the tributes to statesman and architect of the Good Friday Agreement, John Hume.
“John was opposed by those who wanted to achieve their means through violence and in that sense he was firmly attached to non-violence and to pursuing one’s objectives by normal political means. And that was right from the outset, and those principles are the principles of the Belfast Agreement. That is his greatest gift to Northern Irish politics.”
Former Northern Ireland
First Minister David Trimble pays tribute to the former SDLP leader.
“I am also pleased to see that Dublin Castle has been confirmed as the location for the inquest. The Stardust Inquest will be the largest inquest in the history of the State and the families of those who died wanted a location that would be accessible and appropriate for such a significant undertaking.”
Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan welcomed the confirmation that inquest arrangements were being finalised after fears that lockdown restrictions would delay proceedings indefinitely.
“A little over four weeks ago, my wife and I started calling business leaders, heads of major corporations... Our message was clear: The digital landscape is unwell and companies like yours have the chance to reconsider your role in funding and supporting online platforms that have contributed to, stoked, and created the conditions for a crisis of hate, a crisis of health, a crisis of truth.” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on lobbying corporations to withdraw spending from “lawless” social media companies.
“Our celebrities will probably have to swap shorts for thermals but they can still look forward to a basic diet of rice and beans and plenty of thrills and surprises along the way.” Richard Cowles of ITV
Studios on the new series of I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!, to be filmed in the UK instead of Australia.
“Frankly, the term sounded a bit full of itself, painfully progressive and hard to swallow.”
Gwyneth Paltrow on the term “conscious uncoupling”, which she used to describe her separation from exhusband Chris Martin.
“Although her general fluctuating (mental) state was a background and important in her death, I find the reason for her taking her life was she now knew she was being prosecuted for certainty, and she knew she would face the media, press, publicity — it would all come down upon her. To me that’s it in essence.” Coroner Mary Hassell’s ruling on the death of TV star Caroline Flack.