Why did David Trimble win a Noble Peace Prize? Legacy explored as he passes away at 77

On July 25, Lord David Trimble, the former First Minister of Northern Ireland and Noble Peace Prize recipient, passed away at 77. According to Express UK, his family released a short statement which stated that the former minister "passed away after a short illness." No further details of his death have been provided yet.

Doug Beattie, the current leader of David Trimble's Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) took to Twitter to express his sorrow at Trimble's death. The politician wrote:

"#LordTrimble - A political giant, a courageous politician, a staunch unionist and a friend."

---

Exploring David Trimble's life and works

The former First Minister had helped put the landmark 1998 peace deal into effect that ended decades-long conflict in Ireland. In the same year, he won the Noble Peace Prize along with his Republican counterpart John Hume. His peace talks had ended the 30-year long conflict in Northern Ireland that had killed no less than 3,500 people.

The peace agreement that was signed due to David Trimble, is also known as the Good Friday Agreement due to which, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland work together on important matters like health and farming.

As the peace offerings continued, Trimble became the UUP's first leader in 30 years to meet the Irish premier in Dublin. In 1997, the politician was chosen as the first unionist leader since partition to hold negotiation talks with the Sinn Féin.

After the peace deal in 1998, Trimble served as the First Minister of Northern Ireland with SDLP deputy leader Seamus Mallon as the Deputy First Minister.

Trimble was initially associated with the Unionist offshoot organization Vanguard in the early years of 1970s. He then went on to join the Ulster Unionist Party in 1978.

Before moving into politics full-time, Lord Trimble was in academia and had an established career in the law faculty of Queen's University, Belfast. At the university in 1983, Trimble heard the IRA's gunshots that also killed fellow professor Edgar Graham, after which, he left his academic endeavours to join politics full-time. He was also elected as the MP for Upper Bann following a by-election in 1990.

---

Twitter tributes from David Trimble's colleagues

Taking to Twitter, Brandon Lewis, who resigned as the UK's Northern Ireland secretary in July, tweeted about David Trimble passing away.

"Incredibly sad news that David Trimble has died. A brilliant statesman and dedicated public servant, his legacy as an architect of the Good Friday Agreement will live on forever. The people of the UK owe him an immense debt of gratitude for all he achieved for our Union."

The UK's former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, too, tweeted to share his condolences. Calling Trimble a "giant of British and international politics", he tweeted:

"I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Lord Trimble earlier today. He was a giant of British and international politics and will be long remembered for his intellect, personal bravery and fierce determination to change politics for the better."

Former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair described the politician's contributions as "immense, unforgettable and frankly irreplaceable."

---

No other news about Trimble's funeral arrangements has yet been revealed. He is survived by his wife Daphne and their four children.