The Nobel Peace Prize winner and prominent Northern Ireland politician John Hume has died aged 83.
He died in a Londonderry nursing home following a long period of illness.
One of the highest-profile politicians in Northern Ireland for more than 30 years, he helped create the climate that brought an end to the Troubles.
He was one of the founding members of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in 1970 and went on to lead the party from 1979 until 2001.
Mr Hume played a major role in the peace talks which led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
The former SDLP leader was widely admired for his steadfast commitment to peaceful, democratic politics during three decades of violence in Northern Ireland.
Tributes have been paid across the board by political leaders past and present, including former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was in office when the peace deal was signed.
"John Hume was a political titan; a visionary who refused to believe the future had to be the same as the past," Mr Blair said.
"His contribution to peace in Northern Ireland was epic and he will rightly be remembered for it.
"He was insistent it was possible, tireless in pursuit of it and endlessly creative in seeking ways of making it happen."
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In the late 1980s, Mr Hume took considerable risks for peace by holding talks with the then leader of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams.
The talks were controversial at the time because the IRA was still heavily involved in violence, but Mr Hume's aim was to persuade republicans to commit to exclusively democratic means.
The Hume-Adams talks helped to lay the foundations for the 1994 IRA ceasefire and the later negotiations which resulted in the Good Friday Agreement.
On Monday, Mr Hume was hailed as a "great hero and a true peacemaker" by current Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin.
"During the darkest days of paramilitary terrorism and sectarian strife, he kept hope alive. And with patience, resilience and unswerving commitment, he triumphed and delivered a victory for peace," Mr Martin said.
Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster sent condolences to the Hume family and described the former SDLP leader as a "giant in Irish nationalism".
"In our darkest days he recognised that violence was the wrong path and worked steadfastly to promote democratic politics," the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader added.
Following the 1998 peace deal, Mr Hume was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with the then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, David Trimble.
Lord Trimble also acknowledged Mr Hume's commitment to peace efforts in Northern Ireland.
"Right from the outset of the Troubles, John was urging people to stick to their objective peacefully and was constantly critical of those who did not realise the importance of peace," he said.
"He was a major contributor to politics in Northern Ireland, particularly to the process that gave us an agreement that we are still working our way through.
"That is hugely important. He will be remembered for that contribution for years to come."
'Legitimacy of the people'
Throughout his long career, the former SDLP leader spent decades fighting and winning elections to different parliaments at Stormont, Westminster and Brussels.
He served as member of the European Parliament (MEP) for more than 25 years, and held a seat in Westminster as MP for the Foyle constituency for almost 22 years.
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Former Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern, who co-signed the 1998 peace deal with Tony Blair, said Mr Hume had faced widespread criticism for talking to the IRA in the early days of the peace process.
But he said the former SDLP leader took risks for peace and always "saw the bigger picture" in Irish politics.
Mr Ahern also credited Mr Hume with the idea of ratifying the deal with different referenda on both sides of the Irish border.
"When the Good Friday Agreement was signed by Tony and I, he [Mr Hume] said: 'You put this to the people north and south and it will get the legitimacy of the people'.
"That was singularly his idea and it really was a bright idea," Mr Ahern told BBC Radio Five Live.
Irish President Michael D Higgins said Mr Hume had "transformed and remodelled politics in Ireland" and hailed his "personal bravery and leadership".
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said Northern Ireland would not be where it is today "without his leadership and his courage".
"Few people deserved the Nobel Peace Prize more than John - he dedicated his life to peace, and for that the people of Northern Ireland will never forget him," he said.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald described him as a "towering figure, a national icon".
Mr Hume had been suffering from dementia for many years.
He died in the early hours of Monday at Owen Mor nursing home in Derry.
In a statement, his family said: "John was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather and a brother.
"He was very much loved, and his loss will be deeply felt by all his extended family."
There is no way you could overestimate John Hume's contribution in the political development of Northern Ireland.
He was definitely, during those years, the brains behind the approach to the peace process.
He worked on differing relationships, trying to solve problems which seemed for so many years to be completely without any possible solution.
He helped create the political space in which the different parties could manoeuvre their way towards what became the the Good Friday Agreement.
John Hume battled on at very hard times during the Troubles - when any kind of dialogue came under attack from opponents as being a sign of weakness.
He persevered with his efforts to bring about a solution.
The Hume family also paid tribute to the nursing staff of Owen Mor nursing home in Derry.
"The care they have shown John in the last months of his life has been exceptional," their statement said.
"We can never adequately show them our thanks for looking after John at a time when we could not.
"The family drew great comfort in being with John again in the last days of his life."
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