Today, the John & Pat Hume Foundation marks six years since John Hume’s passing. John was a man who spent his life believing that dialogue could achieve what division never could.
“Difference is the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth, and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict.”
John’s words still guide the work we do every day at the John & Pat Hume Foundation. We remember him, and Pat, for the courage it took to imagine a better future, and for building the peace that we enjoy today.
John Hume is the only person to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, Gandhi Peace Prize and Martin Luther King Non-Violence Award. This is a testament to his life and legacy.
As we reflect on John’s life and on his words we look back to the many tributes previously paid to John:
Tributes from John Hume Funeral August 2020
‘We were looking for a giant and found a man whose life made all our lives bigger.
We were looking for someone with superpowers and found clarity of thought, kindness and persistence. We were looking for a great leader and found a great servant
We were looking for revolution and found it in parish halls with tea and biscuits and late night meetings under fluorescence
We were looking for a negotiator who understood that no-one wins unless everyone wins…and that peace is the only victory
We were looking for joy and heard it in the song of a man who loved his town so well and his missus even more
We found John Hume
For Pat, Thérèse, Áine, Aidan, John and Mo.’
– Bono
‘I am sorry to learn about the passing of John Hume. I would like to offer my condolences to you and the members of the family.
I was pleased to be able to meet John during one of my several visits to Northern Ireland. Indeed, his deep conviction in the power of dialogue and negotiations in resolving the problem in his homeland has been an example of non-violent resolution of issues.
It was his leadership and his faith in the power of negotiations that enabled the 1998 Good Friday Agreement to be reached. His steady persistence set an example for all of us to follow.
Although my fellow Nobel laureate is no longer with us, his message about peace and nonviolence in the resolution of conflict, no matter how protracted or difficult it may seem to be, will long survive him. He lived a truly meaningful life.’
– His Holiness, The Dalai Lama
‘Hillary and I are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend John Hume, who fought his long war for peace in Northern Ireland.
His chosen weapons: an unshakeable commitment to nonviolence, persistence, kindness, and love. With his enduring sense of honor, he kept marching on against all odds towards a brighter future for all the children.
He was Ireland’s Martin Luther King.’
– Former US President William Jefferson Clinton
“His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the death of Mr. John Hume, and sends the assurance of his prayers to his family and to all who mourn his loss. Mindful of the Christian faith that inspired John Hume’s untiring efforts to promote dialogue, reconciliation and peace among the people of Northern Ireland, His Holiness commends his noble soul to the loving mercy of Almighty God. To those who mourn his passing in the sure hope of the Resurrection, the Holy Father cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of consolation and strength in Christ the Lord”
– His Holiness, Pope Francis
“All of those who sought and worked for peace on our island of Ireland, and in the hearts of all, will have been deeply saddened by the passing of John Hume, Nobel Peace Laureate and Statesman.
John Hume, through his words, his astute diplomacy and willingness to listen to what was often difficult to accept but was the view of the ‘Other’, transformed and remodelled politics in Ireland, and the search for peace, with a personal bravery and leadership informed by a steadfast belief in the principles and values of genuine democracy.
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”
– President Michael D Higgins
“John Hume is one of the chief architects of the Good Friday Agreement and was a great hero and a true peace maker.
Throughout his long life he exhibited not just courage, but also fortitude, creativity and an utter conviction that democracy and human rights must define any modern society,” Martin said.
“During the darkest days of paramilitary terrorism and sectarian strife, he kept hope alive. And with patience, resilience and unswerving commitment, he triumphed and delivered a victory for peace.”
– An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin
“Any attempt to summarise John Hume’s contribution to the people of the island of Ireland is sure to fall short.
He was a once in a generation leader whose vision for peace was only surpassed by his hard work in making that vision a reality.
What started on the streets of Derry extended to the highest levels of Government in Belfast, Dublin, London, Brussels and Washington DC.
His unique ability to bring people together, to embrace and respect each other’s differences without being consumed by them, made him one of the most transformational figures to ever live north or south of the border.
He leaves behind a legendary legacy of peace, progress and stability. His hard work and sacrifice will never be forgotten.
I extend my deepest condolences to his wife Pat and five children.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.”
– An Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar
“With his passing we have lost a great man who did so much to help bring an end to the Troubles and build a better future for all. His vision paved the way for the stability, positivity and dynamism of the Northern Ireland of today, and his passing is a powerful reminder of how far Northern Ireland has come.”
– Boris Johnston, UK Prime Minister
Previous Tributes Pre-2020
“First John Hume he was real, secondly he did not seem to have an agenda other than he wanted inclusive peace and he thought non-violence was the best way to pursue it. He was the Irish conflicts Martin Luther King”
– President Clinton
“John Hume had that extraordinary facility of combining audacity and courage but also working efficiently without seeking the limelight, which is also a form of courage”
– Jacques Delors, former EU President
“It is John Hume’s desire to caste the least shadow which makes him so great.”
– Bono
“In St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (14:19), he admonishes us to ‘follow after the things which make for peace.’ John Hume, whom I am privileged to call a friend, has done just that all his life. And he has done so with a grace, and gentleness, and bravery, and doggedness scarcely imaginable. Last year, the Irish Times wrote that Ireland ‘owes no greater debt than to the man who insisted that living for Ireland is better than dying for it; that it is more challenging of the human spirit to learn to live with one’s adversaries than to subdue them,’ and concluded, ‘John Hume has wrought the very basis of Ireland’s future.” Truer words have not been written.”
– Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan
“I’ve known John for nearly 30 years, and he’s always been one of the people I’ve most admired in the world. I’ve consistently been impressed by his insights, his courage, his commitment to peace, and his dedication to the people of Northern Ireland. He eminently deserved the Nobel Prize for his extraordinary achievements in the peace process. He’s a true profile in courage for our time and for all time.”
– Senator Edward Kennedy
“There are very few simple truths in life. But when it comes to John Hume, and his role in bringing peace to Ireland, there is one. Without him, there simply would not have been a peace process. For over three decades he remained true to his vision of an equal society. Even in the darkest of days, he never once doubted the ability of the
people of Ireland of all traditions to come together to resolve our differences peacefully and to build a better, more prosperous future for all of our children.. He is a unique and great Irish man and we in Ireland are enormously proud of him.”
– Mary McAleese, President of Ireland
“John Hume’s message of tolerance and accommodation has been a shining beacon over the past thirty years in Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement, and the brighter future it presents, stands as a fitting testament to a man who, through his talents of leadership, pragmatism and as a skilled negotiator, has made and continues to make, an immense contribution to the search for peace.”
– Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern
Also to read back are the following articles:
“John Hume, the greatest Irishman of his time”, The Irish Examiner on August the 3rd, 2020.
“John Hume Obituary”, Chris Ryder at the Guardian on August the 3rd, 2020.
“Reflections on 5th Anniversary of John Hume’s Death”, Mark Durkan on the 5th of August 2025.