Tributes paid to Northern Ireland peacemaker David Trimble

LONDON — David Trimble helped end decades of violence in Northern Ireland by shunning his hardline unionist past and negotiating with a former foe in pursuit of a goal they both shared: Peace. Trimble shared the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize with John Hume for their work in securing the Good Friday Agreement, which helped end three decades of bloodshed that killed more than 3,000 people on both sides of Northern Ireland’s sectarian conflict. “His faith in the democratic process allowed him to stand up to strong opposition in his own community, persuade them of the merits of compromise, and share power with his former adversaries.” The agreement, negotiated with the help of Clinton’s Northern Ireland envoy, George Mitchell, created a power-sharing government that sought to bridge the divide between unionists, who support continued ties with the United Kingdom, and nationalists, who back reunification with the Republic of Ireland. Trimble was elected first minister in Northern Ireland’s first power-sharing government the same year, with Seamus Mallon of the Social Democratic and Labour Party representing the nationalist community as deputy first minister.