Former taoiseach Albert Reynolds was among those who paid tribute yesterday to the Most Rev Dr Robin Eames, when the retired Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh, now Lord Eames, was presented with the 2006 Tipperary International Peace Award.
Mr Reynolds joined a host of dignitaries in Tipperary town for the presentation of the award that the Tipperary Peace Convention had conferred on Lord Eames for his courageous and patient work in the cause of peace and reconciliation.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Reynolds said that he did not think Lord Eames' role in the peace process would ever be fully recognised. "Nobody will ever know the contribution he made. He is a very fine choice for this award and is one of the most worthy recipients," the former taoiseach said.
Tributes to Lord Eames were also paid by the deputy mayor of Armagh, Cllr Thomas O'Hanlon, former special adviser to the Taoiseach, Senator Martin Mansergh, and the Right Rev Michael Burrows, Bishop of Cashel and Ossory. Letters of congratulations were read from the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall; secretary of state for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain; former speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Lord Alderdice; and former archbishops of the diocese of Armagh.
In his address, Lord Eames accepted what he described as "this magnificent award" in the name of the host of people who had not received public acclaim. He stated that there were people whose work was known to perhaps relatively few, but for whom so much of their contribution to the peace process had been sacrificial, extremely dangerous and extremely demanding.