A former SDLP councillor has been remembered as a "shining light for civil rights, social justice and peace".
Pat Brannigan, who died yesterday aged 86, served on Armagh District Council from 1977 to 2011.
He became the council's first nationalist chairman in 1993 and its first nationalist mayor in 1997.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said his driving ambition was to deliver civil rights, equality and fairness for people regardless of their background.
"Pat Brannigan embodied the values of the SDLP and was a loyal friend and colleague to many across the north. In the darkest of times, he was a shining light for civil rights, social justice and peace," he said.
"As mayor of Armagh and a councillor, Pat was respected across the political divide and his core belief was to serve the people of his community, which he did with distinction for many years."
The Foyle MP said Mr Brannigan showed great courage and strength of character "in the darkest days of the Troubles".
He said Mr Brannigan risked his life trying to save his UUP councillor colleague Charles Armstrong, who died after an IRA bomb exploded under his car as he left a council meeting in 1983.
Mr Brannigan was "resolutely opposed to violence and always believed in a safer, shared future for all of us".
Mr Eastwood added: "I want to express my deepest sympathies to Pat's wife Molly, his children and the whole Brannigan family."
SDLP MLA Justin McNulty also said Mr Brannigan was a "pioneer in politics".
"Pat was a painter by trade, who went on to train many young men in the craft through vocational courses locally," he said.
"But, it was in politics that Pat made his mark. He was principled and trusted and he won respect across our community as a man of integrity who worked hard to make Armagh and the district a better place to live and work for everyone."
He added: "Pat laid the foundation stones in local politics that many SDLP representatives including myself have sought to build upon in the community."
