From Neil Hannon to Bertie Ahern, musicians, politicians and PR gurus recall the crucial part that a 1998 gig played in Northern Ireland’s peace process
Such events do not happen by accident. They need catalysts. The catalysts in this case were David Kerr and Conall McDevitt, who were working within the respective communication teams of the UUP and the SDLP at the time. Both men now run successful PR companies away from the political spotlight.
Kerr recalls the press conference on the day of the concert and how Trimble broke the ice: “David started talking about his love of Elvis and the future of his children, especially his eldest daughter, Vicky, and the mood was transformed, the tension lifted.” Kerr himself was not unaffected by the prolonged violence over the decades. He was originally from County Fermanagh, and his brother narrowly escaped death in 1987 at the Remembrance Day bombing in Enniskillen by the IRA.
For John Hume’s funeral in 2020, Bono wrote a speech called Leadership that was read aloud to the congregation by the Right Rev Dónal McKeown, bishop of Derry. It conveyed the deep respect that Bono carried for Hume. “We were looking for a negotiator who understood that no one wins unless everyone wins … and that peace is the only victory … We were looking for a great leader and found a great servant. We found John Hume.
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