In recent years, the cruelty of dementia robbed John Hume of his forensic mind.
When he was at the height of his powers, he allied that exceptional intellect to raw courage.
Today he has gone to his rest eternal.
My children have grown up on an island that is largely at peace.
Division and differences remain, but the issues have been demilitarised.
John Hume played a major role in creating that new dispensation.
When the British Government would not allow the voices of Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness to be heard on the airwaves, Hume instead took part in an exploratory dialogue.
Although Hume always advocated the path of peace, he was implicitly acknowledging that the Republican Volunteers had some genuine justification for taking up arms.
He knew that the insurrection that had started in his native Derry had not come out of thin air.
It was time to talk and examine how the military conflict could be brought to an end.
Many of those in the Dublin elite who excoriated the Derryman at the time will be writing their eulogies today- mar a deirtear, is é sin scéal eile.
Hume knew that the polity created by Lloyd George and ran from Stormont had created an uprising in the nationalist community.
Today, the bigoted sectarian Orange State that he opposed is no more.
Moreover, in 2020 the British connection on this island has never been weaker.
Next year will mark the centenary of the creation of the Northern Ireland statelet.
By that time there would well be a trade border in the Irish sea as Brexit finally bites.
Northern Ireland will be, effectively, economically annexed to the European Union.
It will be the first step to an economic United Ireland.
For many years Hume was an MEP, and he knew that the intervention of continental Europe was a way forward in the embryonic peace process.
Now, all is changed, changed utterly.
In 2020 to occasion across someone from a unionist background who “thinks 32” is not to discover a unicorn.
The performance of the Irish Government apropos Covid19 has been in marked contrast to the confusion at Westminster.
This awful pandemic has rammed home the value of an all-island approach to crucial areas like health.
If the Derry man had been fully aware of the world around him the over the past few days, then he would have smiled broadly in the direction of Croke Park.
This is the new Ireland that John Hume believed in.
As I inhabit the world of the writer, I allowed myself a quiet private smile at the celebrations at Croker.
For those of ye who have read “The Squad”, you will know that in the fictional universe created by your humble correspondent Gerry and Karim are smiling at the significance of that event.
As that young man spoke at Croker of his sense of belonging to Ireland, I thought that this was one of those precious moments “when hope and history rhyme”.
The image of the Imam with the hurl captures so much of the new Ireland.
The home of the GAA was the scene of the first Bloody Sunday in 1920 when British terrorists took out their murderous hatred on innocent Irish people.
Of course, Hume knew all about the second Bloody Sunday.
He was there…
For the avoidance of doubt, the British state remains Machiavellian and violent.
However, the people of this island, assisted by our gallant allies in Europe, are tantalisingly close to restoring all-island democratic structures.
That the final phase will not require physical force is Hume’s enduring legacy.
Requiescat in pace.
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Is Conn Amarra for real or is he just pretending to be hopelessly Ill informed, even stupid possibly?
It was that kind of day for me, dark heavy clouds and flashes of sunshine. Hearing of the passing of John Hume. Reading about the alacrity of generous response for a plea to use Croker for Eid celebrations. Thank you Phil, for bringing those two moments together.
I’ll always remember John Hume admonishing Trimble and his loyalist colleagues for their ignorance of the history of Protestant Repulicanism in Ireland. I assume he was referring to Tone and Parnell amongst others.
A great man, a sad passing.
Met him in London in the early 1980s. And had the privilege of shaking his hand.
RIP John Hume , a well written piece Phil . He helped get the Brits off the streets of our land. Maybe that’s what upset hun amarra
Very nice tribute to a giant of a human being!
Well Done !
Didn’t know he was suffering from dementia. I did wonder why I hadn’t heard anything about him in many years. My late mother thought the sun poured out of his earholes.
RIP John. You probably never will get the recognition in the UK you got elsewhere on the globe. If there was a man like you in the middle-east that whole region could yet see a lasting peace. Unfortunately, if there is, he hasn’t emerged yet.
I am not afraid to say that I shed a tear this morning for someone I never met. Everyone on this island should be thankful for the courage John Hume showed during his whole political life. He stood up for the nationalist people when we needed him most. But he cared for all the people of Ireland. There was not a bigoted bone in his body. RIP John.
Lovely piece Phil and that news clip has a tear in my eye.
Interesting now we know the Russian interference is out in the open. Mind you the media dumbing down on it is very telling. Looks like it won’t be long before Ireland and Scotland break those English shackles once and for all. I believe Wales is working on independence now. Can’t wait to see little England fall from their white cliffs.
Shame the Republic is still under Lizzie’s rule though, eh, Phil, still part of The Commonwealth.
What part of ‘Dominion Status’ do you not understand?
Tell your readers about how Britain NEVER SIGNED The Withdrawal Agreement.
Go on sure!
I bet ye don’t, ya big wuss.
FYI, the Republic of Ireland left the Commonwealth on 18 April 1949.
Ad hominem jibes do you no favours
Was he actually worthy of a reply Phil? Clearly not a towering intellectual of a man. I could be wrong here but methinks he may have sevconian leanings.
Is this the sane moon howler who was on here months ago, claiming Lizzy runs the world out of Buckingham Palace? Apparently she is more powerful than the US President but can’t seem to arrange for a US Diplomat’s wife to come to the UK after killing a young man.
One of thegreatest statesmen of our times. Courageous and a brilliant debater. God bless and rest John Hume a giant of the peace protest and a deserved Nobel Peace prize winner.
Well put Phil. RIP a great man.