A SPECIAL lecture by former President Mary Robinson is among the events marking the 90th birthday of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu today.
As South Africa's anti-apartheid icon, his milestone birthday will be celebrated at an international peace lecture with a line-up of speakers that also includes the Dalai Lama.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate will attend a special service at St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, where he once held the pulpit as South Africa’s first black Anglican archbishop.
In a statement to The Irish News last night, Dr Mamphela Ramphele from the Archbishop Desmond Tutu IP Trust said the cleric would also spend time with close family and friends.
"A deluge of love and well-wishes from individuals and organisations around the world has been pouring into Cape Town ahead of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s milestone 90th birthday tomorrow," she said.
"Besides planning to attend a special thanksgiving service at St George’s Cathedral in the city, the Archbishop and Mrs Leah Tutu will spend the day at home surrounded by family including grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
"On behalf of the Archbishop and Mrs Tutu we’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to making this week special, including all who have sent birthday greetings, cards and flowers."
Later today, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation will host an online lecture, entitled, Speaking Truth to Power: No Future without Justice.
Mrs Robinson and the Dalai Lama are among the speakers as well as Graca Machel, rights activist and widow of former South African President Nelson Mandela and South African lawyer Thuli Madonsela.
A key campaigner against South Africa's previous system of oppression against the country's black majority, Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.
After retiring in 1996, he became chairman of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission which investigated human rights abuses during the apartheid era.
No stranger to Ireland, one of his recent visits was in 2006 when he travelled to the north for a series of TV programmes that brought victims and perpetrators of violence together, including loyalist mass killer Michael Stone.
In 2001, he toured parts of Belfast, including the flashpoint Ardoyne area.
Fr Gary Donegan was among those who met him during a visit to Holy Cross PS at the height of the interface violence at the time.
"He said he wanted to go to Holy Cross and was apparently told not to go. But in his brilliance, he just ignored the advice," he said.
"He came into the assembly that day and just captivated the children, he was bouncing around.
"He spoke to some of the parents, he jumped straight into the issues of that time and was not afraid to show solidarity and support. He really was inspirational."
Last year Fr Donegan travelled to South Africa with a group of young people from the north. During his visit he travelled to the grave of his late aunt Sr Carmel Donegan in Pretoria, he also visited Tutu's home.
"He would be very much a hero of mine and to have met personally met him is a wonderful memory I have," he said.
"To go to see his house was also an honour.
"What's funny is I was wearing my Irish News GAA top that day, the one specially commissioned for the Anto Finnegan game in 2014 in aid of MNDA, another inspirational man.
"I wish Archbishop Tutu my very best wishes for his 90th birthday."
