Mallon was a major political figure in Northern Ireland during the three decades of violence between Catholic nationalists seeking union with Ireland and Protestant unionists wanting Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom.
He went on to jointly head the devolved power-sharing administration that followed the peace deal and was remembered as a peacemaker who recognized, in his words, that Northern Ireland’s divided communities could “live together in generosity and compassion or we can continue to die in bitter disharmony”.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, whose hands-on role was central to bringing an end to the conflict that killed some 3,600 people, called Mallon a hero of Northern Ireland’s peace process and a profoundly good man.
“Seamus never wavered from his vision for a shared future where neighbors of all faiths could live in dignity,” Clinton said in a statement.
“A teacher in practice and in heart, the lessons of his life and power of his example are as important today as ever.”
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar praised Mallon for his unswerving commitment to constitutional nationalism when others in his community advocated violence, calling him “a peacemaker who put us on the path to reconciliation.”
Mallon died at his home in the Northern Irish county of Armagh, a spokesman for his Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) said. – Reuters