The Ulster Unionist Party leader and former first minister of Northern Ireland, Lord Trimble, has passed away.
Lord Trimble who led the UUP from 1995 to 2005, played a key role in securing the Good Friday Agreement, the peace accord that put an end to the worst of Northern Ireland’s Troubles.
Together with SDLP leader John Hume, he shared the Nobel Peace Prize for their contributions.
He has served as Baron Trimble of Lisnagarvey in the House of Lords since 2006.
Trimble was the first person to hold the position of the first minister after it was established.
It is with great sadness that the family of Lord Trimble announces that he passed away peacefully earlier today after a brief illness, according to a statement from the UUP.
David Trimble Tribute
A lot of tribute has been poured in today after his passing.
Lord Trimble, according to Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin, played a “critical and courageous role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland.”
Colum Eastwood, leader of the SDLP, called him “one of the most consequential political leaders of the last century.”
He went on to say that the Good Friday Agreement would not have been signed if the former UUP leader had not shown political courage.
Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill said Lord Trimble’s bravery in assisting in the negotiations “leaves a legacy a quarter century on for which he and his family should be rightly proud.”
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said the former first minister “made a huge contribution to Northern Ireland, and to political life in the United Kingdom,” and was a “committed and passionate unionist who always wanted the best for Northern Ireland.”
David Trimble Cause of Death
David Trimble died peacefully in his home after a brief illness according to the family. He was 77 at the time of his passing
