John Hume among the greats of Irish history – Burke

Fine Gael TD Colm Burke has paid tribute to John Hume as one of the greats of Irish history.

Deputy Burke said: “The death of John Hume is a time of national mourning.

“However it is also a time to remember and honour the life of a truly great Irishman, a great European and an international statesman.

“A Nobel Peace Prize recipient in 1998, John Hume was also awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize and the Martin Luther King award amongst many other national and international awards.

“In 2012 he was made a Papal Knight by Pope Benedict XVI.”

Deputy Burke continued: “In 2004 when I was Lord Mayor of Cork, I was honoured to present John Hume with the Freedom of Cork City.

“A member of three parliamentary bodies, John Hume showed an unwavering commitment to non-violence and to democratic politics.

“‘Spill your sweat and not your blood’ was a memorable phrase of his.

“For decades he was a central figure in the Irish Peace Process. He showed an enormous capacity to win friends and influence people, particularly in Washington and in Brussels.

“During the 1960s John Hume also made a big contribution to the development of the Irish Credit Union movement, of which he was particularly proud.

“John Hume will rank with Daniel O’Connell among the greats of Irish history.”