Tributes paid to former US President Jimmy Carter in the wake of his death have highlighted his ‘significant’ contribution to establishing peace in the north.
The former President died at the age of 100 on Sunday and had been the longest-lived President in America’s history.
He won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work on human rights and peace negotiations.
His single term as the 39th President of the United States ran between 1977 and 1981 as the Troubles continued to rage on in Northern Ireland.
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Both the taoiseach and the tánaiste paid tribute to his contributions to peace in Ireland and the Middle East following the announcement of his death.
It is with the utmost sadness that I have learned of the death of former US
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) December 29, 2024
President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter.
May he rest in peace.
Full statement below. pic.twitter.com/lYxPwhGKub
Taoiseach Simon Harris said that the world had “lost a great humanitarian”.
“Jimmy Carter’s legacy is a reminder of what diplomacy can achieve, the peace deal he helped to forge between Israel and Egypt stands to this day,” he said.
“He was a keen supporter of peace in Ireland and a respected voice on the road to the Good Friday Agreement.”
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said: “The personification of public service, his work extended to our own island, as he took the first decisive steps to proactive and transformational US engagement on Northern Ireland. This commitment to peace in Ireland endures today.”
Elsewhere, SDLP leader Claire Hanna paid tribute to President Carter as the first US president to ‘seriously engage’ with issues in the north.
A thoroughly decent man, of peace and humanitarianism. To positive effect he put his head above the parapet here and around the world. We’ll really not see his like again. https://t.co/z9eUGEsW8p
— Claire Hanna (@ClaireHanna) December 29, 2024
His 1977 presidential statement on Northern Ireland called for a peaceful solution to the conflict that involved ‘both parts of the community’.
“Throughout his life Jimmy Carter was an advocate for human rights, peace, humanitarianism and doing what’s right, no matter how difficult,” she said.
“At a time when violence was raging across Northern Ireland, Jimmy Carter ignored advice not to intervene and stuck his head above the parapet calling for the US to become directly involved in trying to secure peace here and promising investment after it was established.”
Ms Hanna said that his intervention was “a significant one”, demonstrating his “commitment to advancing the cause of peace around the world”, and that he “shared Hume’s vision” of peace being the only solution.
“His statement sent a clear message to the then-British government that they could no longer act with impunity when it came to Northern Ireland,” she said.
“Jimmy Carter leaves a lasting imprint not only on Northern Ireland, but around the world. He has left the world a better place as a result of his contribution throughout a lifetime of service and I can think of no greater legacy than that.”
US Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin said President Carter was a remarkable statesman, humanitarian, and a man whose unwavering commitment to peace and justice has left an indelible mark on our world.
“In 1977, as Northern Ireland was engulfed in The Troubles, President Carter issued the first formal statement on Northern Ireland by a US president,” she said.
“This groundbreaking initiative established the precedent for the pivotal role successive US presidents would play in securing peace and lay the groundwork for the Good Friday Agreement.
“His message was clear: peace is possible through dialogue and mutual respect. This statement not only resonated with the people of Northern Ireland but also galvanised international support for peace efforts in the region.”
