He put values & doing right thing before easy votes

JOHN Hume, for me, was simply the most important person amongst many outstanding, peace workers in what has become known as the

‘peace process’ in Ireland in the latter half of the 20th century.

At an absolutely critical time, in the early 1990s, the real horror of another 20 or 30 years of bloody conflict seemed not only possible, but likely.

John Hume, faced implacable hostility from many political colleagues, the British establishment and some of the Irish establishment, many media, and maybe even some of his own friends.

However, he persisted in establishing links, and then trust, with Gerry Adams.

This led to a strategy for a peace map between these two key players that gained the support of the wider republican family, the American,

Irish and British governments and the EU.

John Hume achieved this. He was the lynchpin that eventually brought about the Good Friday Agreement.

I was not a personal friend of John Hume but I met him many times in the course of my work.

At times he could appear dismissive, truculent even.

He clearly didn’t suffer fools gladly and when presented with his direct but distanced stare, sometimes you wondered if you were one of the fools.

But that didn’t matter.

One of the first Catholics to benefit from the 1947 Northern Ireland Education Act, John was a credit to his ‘free’ grammar and third-level education.

His integrity, courage and intelligence shone out.

He placed values, principles and doing the right thing before populism and easy votes.

Supported every inch of the way by his wife Pat, he was everything great leaders should be.

Now in 2020 there is the real possibility of my children and grandchildren living in and enjoying this beautiful country of Ireland in tranquillity and peace.

Thank you John Hume, may you rest in peace.”

Professor Breidge Gadd CBE was Chief Probation Officer in Northern Ireland from 1986 to 2000 and Chair of the Big Lottery Fund in Northern Ireland from 2001 until 2009.

She also served on the Legal Services Commission and Judicial Appointments Commission and was a Board Member with a range of voluntary organisations including Co-operation Ireland.