It was appropriate that President Michael D Higgins led the tributes to the distinguished poet Pádraic Fiacc, who has died in Belfast at the age of 94.
Mr Fiacc, born Patrick Joseph O'Connor, devoted much of his work to the violence and upheaval he witnessed in his native city over many years.
President Higgins, who visited Mr Fiacc a matter of days before his death, highlighted the unwavering honesty and courage of his contributions and his determination to reach out to victims on all sides.
His writing always came straight from the heart, and he deserves to be remembered as one of the most important literary figures of his generation.
