There have been renewed calls for a permanent structure to be named in Derry to honour John Hume.
John Hume
While Mr Hume has numerous awards to his name, there is no permanent structure in his home town to mark his achievements in bringing peace to the North.
One of those calling for a permanent structure is Gerry Temple who said such a project would be an asset to the city.
He said: “I am a Derry man born and bred but have no connections with any political party and would not want this made a political football.
“I have the greatest respect for John and all he has done not only for Derry but for all of Ireland. He is a figure well known around the world and having a public place named in his honour would be another asset to our city.
“I think our city should make the effort to mark John’s contribution now when he is alive rather than waiting until it is too late and doing something posthumously. Derry not having marked his achievements publicly is a serious mistake.”
Many in the city were disappointed when the new footbridge was not named after Mr Hume.
One suggestion put forward is to name the walkway leading to Ebrington Square “John Hume Plaza.”
Mr Hume (78) was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and was co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize, with Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble.
He was the second leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), a position he held from 1979 until 2001. He has served as a Member of the European Parliament and a Member of Parliament for Foyle, as well as a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
He is regarded as one of the most important figures in the recent political history of Ireland and one of the architects of the Northern Ireland peace process.
He is also a recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize and the Martin Luther King Award, the only recipient of the three major peace awards.
In 2010, he was named “Ireland’s Greatest” in a public poll by RTÉ to find the greatest person in Ireland’s history.
Last year, Pope Benedict XVI made him a Knight Commander of the Papal Order of St. Gregory the Great.
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