Bust of John Hume unveiled to mark 25 years since Nobel Peace Prize

The Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl TD, has unveiled a bust of the late John Hume in Leinster House in Dublin to commemorate the Nobel Peace Prize awarded jointly to Mr Hume and David Trimble for their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland.

The Houses of the Oireachtas is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize by unveiling a series of commemorative artworks. The bust of John Hume unveiled today in LH2000 aligns with the anniversary of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

A bust of Lord Trimble will be unveiled in December to align with the anniversary of their receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize.  

The Ceann Comhairle unveiled the bust in the presence of Mr Hume’s son, John Hume Jnr, and the late Lord Trimble’s wife, Lady Daphne, who both spoke briefly at the event.

The Ceann Comhairle said: “The bronze bust of John Hume, which we will unveil tonight, will be positioned, here at the Houses of the Oireachtas, alongside a bust of Lord Trimble, which is being acquired by the OPW and will be unveiled later this year. Although neither man was a member of the Dáil or the Seanad, their peace-building work was supported and admired here at Leinster House and we owe – and the people of Ireland owe – them a debt of gratitude.  

“It is appropriate at this point, of course, to recognise the efforts of all those who contributed to reaching for, and delivering, peace on our island; courageous political leaders, activists and community groups, and the many different partners in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the United States.”

Paying tribute to John Hume, the Ceann Comhairle said: “The success of the peace process lay in building partnerships and forging positive relationships across a variety of different perspectives and traditions. In the words of John Hume himself ‘Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity’.

“John Hume had a very clear vision of how peace could be achieved: non-violence, respect for diversity, and equality and protection of fundamental rights. He devoted his political life to persuading others that his vision was the appropriate one to follow. In doing so, he changed the agenda for politics in both parts of Ireland, in Anglo-Irish relations and in the US-Irish relationship.

“But John Hume was much more than a man with a vision. He was also a man of action. We have a saying in Irish 'Ní dhéanfaidh smaoineamh an treabhadh duit' or 'Thinking won’t do the ploughing for you.' John Hume was a hard-working community and political leader, a man of courage and determination. He was a constant in the political life of Ireland from the 1960s until his passing in 2020. And his persistence, his perseverance, was, of course, as valuable and as important as his vision for peace.”

The Ceann Comhairle thanked John Hume Jnr and members of the Hume family, and Lady Daphne Trimble and her daughter Vicki, for attending the dual remembrance event.