Lord Trimble, Unionist architect of Good Friday Agreement, has died – BBC News

Lord Trimble, the former first minister of Northern Ireland and Ulster Unionist Party leader, has died.

Lord Trimble, who was 77, led the UUP between 1995 and 2005, and was instrumental in the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement – the peace deal which ended the worst of Northern Ireland’s sectarian violence.

His efforts won him the Nobel Peace Prize along with SDLP leader John Hume. Since 2006, he sat in the House of Lords as Baron Trimble of Lisnagarvey.

He was the first person to serve in the role of First Minister in the new Northern Ireland Executive, established as part of the Good Friday Agreement.

A statement from the UUP said: "It is with great sadness that the family of Lord Trimble announce that he passed away peacefully following a short illness."

Fiona Bruce presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Ireland correspondent Emma Vardy.

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