`As a Derry man in my home city, given what my city has suffered throughout all these years, and indeed before these years, I believe it is a great statement for all the people of Derry and I would have no doubt that they will join me in welcoming it."

Only minutes before, John Hume had learned his good news. Accompanied by his wife, Pat, Mr Hume was at the Foyle Arts Centre yesterday morning. The prize was not an award for just himself and Mr Trimble but to all the people of Northern Ireland, he said. It was a very powerful international approval of the peace process.

"The work of both governments and all the parties [is recognised], because there has been a very concerted effort to bring peace and stability to our streets, and today's announcement from the Nobel Committee strengthens our peace process enormously because it tells all the people what the world wants to see on our streets.

"I think it is a very clear and powerful statement of support for the peace process. The most powerful statement was the statement of our own people in the referendum when a vast majority stressed their support for peace.

"The international community in different ways also expressed its support, but today's announcement from Norway to David Trimble and myself underpins the peace process and speaks of the international goodwill that exists for it."

Asked if he was disappointed that the Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams, had not been included in the award, Mr Hume said: "First of all I am not commenting in any way on that. This is not just an award to David Trimble and myself, it's an award to all the people of Northern Ireland and to all the parties that have participated in the peace process and to both governments. It's an endorsement of us all."

Sitting beside her husband, Pat Hume said: "I am absolutely delighted, I am delighted for John. It has been very, very tough being at the coalface for the last 30 years. I am really pleased for him and for David Trimble. For anyone involved in politics in Northern Ireland, it is an onerous task and it is an endorsement of politics."

The president of St Columb's College in Derry, where John Hume was both a pupil (as was poet and fellow Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney) and teacher, said yesterday that everyone associated with the college was delighted that for the second time two past pupils had received Nobel awards.

"Two years ago it was Seamus Heaney and today it's John Hume," said Father John Walsh. "I would paraphrase St Paul and say that these two people are alumni of no mean college. I would suggest there is many a third-level Oxbridge college that would envy us."