IRELAND. It is with great regret that we reported the passing of John Hume, civil rights leader, Nobel Laureate and a hugely important figure in Irish political life over more than half a century. He was the father of Hume Brophy Director John Hume, who is well known in travel retail for his company’s lobbying work on behalf of the industry.
Born in Derry, John Hume Sr. became an activist in the civil rights movement in his home city in the late 1960s, later helping to establish and become leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). He worked for many years to end violence and secure a lasting peace in Northern Ireland, engaging with other politicians and crucially, with paramilitaries, to do so.
His involvement in talks with the IRA was vital in ending the conflict in Northern Ireland. In 1998, after the Good Friday Agreement created the framework for lasting peace, Hume and Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Negotiations that followed the Good Friday Agreement, in which Hume was a central figure, led to power sharing between nationalist and unionist parties.
John Hume is the only person to have been awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize and the Martin Luther King Award, as well as the Nobel Peace Prize.
“The legacy of John’s life is forever embedded in the DNA of modern Ireland.”
The Hume family released a statement early this morning, which said: “We are deeply saddened to announce that John passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning after a short illness.
“John was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather and a brother. He was very much loved, and his loss will be deeply felt by all his extended family.
“It seems particularly apt for these strange and fearful days to remember the phrase that gave hope to John and so many of us through dark times: we shall overcome.”
Tributes to the achievements of John Hume were led by Irish President Michael D. Higgins, who said: “John’s deep commitment to these values and his practical demonstration of tolerance and social justice, oftentimes in the face of strong opposition and tangible threats to his person and his family, asserted the fundamental principles of democracy.
“He and those others who helped usher in a discourse that enabled a new era of civil rights and responsive government that few would have thought possible, have placed generations in their debt, have been a source of hope.
“That his efforts were recognised through the awarding of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize brought great joy not only to his people in Derry, his colleagues in politics, particularly in the SDLP, but to a wider global set of colleagues and fellow advocates for peace abroad who held him in the greatest esteem and admiration.”
John Hume Sr. is survived by his wife Pat and five children: Terese, Áine, Aidan, John and Mo.
The Moodie Davitt Report comments: “John Hume was a great ambassador for peace and for Ireland, a man who showed conviction and courage in a time of discord and conflict. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.”
Other organisations and individuals from the travel retail industry have also paid rich tribute.
ETRC President Nigel Keal said: “John Hume leaves behind a great legacy which resonates not only in Ireland but as an example of peacebuilding and leadership across the world. May he rest in peace and his family find comfort in celebrating his life and achievements. Whilst I didn’t get the chance to meet him personally, on behalf of ETRC I would like to extend our sincerest condolences to his son, our friend and colleague John and his family.”
A statement from Aer Rianta International, the Irish state-owned travel retailer, said: “John Hume led the island of Ireland through many of our darkest days with a devotion to doing what was right above what was best for himself. John had the courage, morally and physically to see beyond the shackles of history in order to form an island of true equals. The legacy of John’s life is forever embedded in the DNA of modern Ireland. Our thoughts and prayers are with Pat, John Junior and the entire Hume family.”
ARI CEO Ray Hernan added separately: “John Hume was instrumental in changing the course of this country in the right way. Our country, and the whole island of Ireland will be forever indebted to him.”
Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman & CEO Colm McLoughlin said: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of John Hume, who was such an influential figure in helping to end 25 years of ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland. His peaceful approach and his ongoing dialogue between parties proved to be the final voice of reason. I did not know John, I knew his son John Junior, but I certainly felt like I know the man and greatly admired his achievements. He was deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 for his role in the Good Friday Agreement and having read the comments from so many former world leaders, such as Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, it is clear that John was held in extremely high regard by so many.”
Former ETRC and DFWC President Frank O’Connell (speaking personally) said: “John Hume Sr was one of the most significant Irishmen of his generation and served the cause of peace in our country unstintingly and without the slightest self interest. I had the great privilege of meeting him many times especially during the nineties duty free campaign of which he was a strong supporter. My sympathies to John our friend and colleague and to his mother Pat and the family. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.”
Former ETRC Secretary-General and Senior Counsel Keith Spinks (speaking personally) said: “A truly great man whom I was privileged to know when he was a Member of the European Parliament and share a glass with on many occasions in Brussels or Strasbourg.”
TFWA Managing Director John Rimmer (speaking personally) said: “There are not many people of whom it can truthfully be said that they changed their community and their country for the better. John Hume is unquestionably one of those few people. His tenacity under the most extreme pressure is an example for us all, in whatever walk of life. My sincere condolences to John Jr, the Hume family and all those who mourn the great man, in Derry and beyond.”
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