Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny and former first minister David Trimble will examine the life and legacy of the late Seamus Mallon in a discussion organised by the John and Pat Hume Foundation.
The discussion, which will go live tomorrow, has been organised to mark the first anniversary of the death of Mr Mallon, former SDLP deputy leader and former deputy first minister to Lord Trimble. Mr Kenny and Lord Trimble will be joined on the discussion panel by Mr Mallon’s daughter, Orla and Tim O’Connor, retired Irish diplomat.
One of the architects and driving forces behind the Good Friday Agreement, Mr Mallon passed away on January 24 last year at the age of 83. He served as MP for Newry and Armagh and became the north’s first ever deputy first minister following the adoption of the Good Friday Agreement and the establishment of the assembly.
From Markethill in County Armagh, the former SDLP deputy leader first came to political prominence through his involvement in the civil rights’ movement in the 1960s. He was a life-long opponent of political violence and enjoyed an electoral career spanning 30 years after he was first elected to the Northern Ireland assembly (Sunningdale Agreement) in 1973.
The John and Pat Hume Foundation was established last year following the death of Nobel laureate, Mr Hume in August (also at the age of 83). The Foundation was set up to nurture the legacy of Mr Hume and his wife and to support “peaceful change-makers”.
The Foundation is supported by a number of powerful peace makers and political influencers from Ireland and throughout the world, including 2018 Nobel laureate, Nadia Murad, former US senator, George Mitchel, Irish president, Michael D Higgins and former president, Mary McAleese among others.
Next Tuesday’s online discussion starts at 7pm. The discussion can be accessed by registering at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/reflection-on-seamus-mallon-a-shared-home-place-tickets-137157185835.
