Irish people should be proud that Mr John Hume and Mr David Trimble have been chosen as recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. The award represents potent international recognition of the work they have done in bringing their communities together in Northern Ireland in pursuit of peace and reconciliation. It also reflects positively on the endorsement given to that work by the great majority of the electorate on both sides of the Border. Political reaction to the announcement has been generally positive. But, bearing in mind the political divisions that exist within unionism over the Belfast Agreement, a carping response from the Democratic Unionist Party was hardly surprising.
Mr Hume greeted the announcement as "a clear and powerful statement of support for the peace process" and said the challenge facing them was to harness the goodwill of the international community in that regard. As a prime architect of the settlement, the SDLP leader has for years championed the idea of an inclusive political agreement, involving republicans and loyalists, within a three-stranded, power-sharing framework. And he has encouraged the United States to act as "honest broker" in the matter.
Mr Trimble, in a characteristically sombre comment, recognised the honour bestowed on him while hoping it would not turn out to be premature because of the work that remained to be done to achieve lasting peace. There is no doubt the great majority of unionists will wish Mr Trimble well because of the Nobel Peace Prize. And it will reassure some wavering voters, who had voted "Yes " in the referendum on the Belfast Agreement, that they did the right thing in supporting compromise and an accommodation with nationalists. Northern Ireland's First Minister crossed his particular Rubicon when he led the Ulster Unionist Party into all-party talks at Stormont and subsequently signed up to a comprehensive political settlement involving Sinn Fein.
In their separate ways, both men contributed hugely to the creation of the Belfast Agreement. And if the other architects of that document were not included in yesterday's announcement, it was probably because the closing date for nominations preceded its signing. Other leading contributors to that political breakthrough, Mr Tony Blair, Mr Bertie Ahern, Mr Gerry Adams, Mr Seamus Mallon and Dr Mo Mowlam were appropriately generous in their comments. But the deputy leader of the DUP, Mr Peter Robinson, produced the bile that has come to be expected from that party when he described the Nobel Peace Prize as a reward for those who had jettisoned principle and betrayed the unionist cause.
This is the second time the Nobel Peace Prize has gone to Northern Ireland. On the last occasion, in 1976, the winners were the leaders of the Peace People movement, Ms Betty Williams and Ms Mairead Corrigan, who mobilised people within both communities in public rallies against violence. Twenty-two years later, the seeds of compromise and of cross-community support for an end to sectarianism and violence reached fruition through the courage and perseverance of governments, church leaders, community workers and politicians. It is right that we should celebrate the international recognition given to the political work and personal courage of both Mr Hume and Mr Trimble. But we should also remember the many unsung heroes of the peace process.