Trevor Ringland: David Trimble wanted a future which was not determined by those who hate the most

David Trimble was the only politician that I would have been prepared to put my body on the line for!

He, being who he was, would have wondered why!!

The other who may have reached the same level of respect in my eyes but we tragically never got an opportunity to discover his potential, was Edgar Graham.

Identified by republicans from questions to journalists as the emerging leader in unionism he was physically assassinated by the republican movement.

Edgar had the qualities of recognising what it was important to be strong on and appropriate to be relaxed about. I have no doubt he would have had a constructive role in shaping unionism at that time had he been allowed to live.

Murdered because he was going to be a good leader in the political world of those dark times.

Those are the same qualities that emerged in David Trimble and in working with others, but he in particular, helped create solid foundations which if we grasp the opportunity they provide will ensure there is peace on this island into the future.

He became leader at a time when an unnecessary IRA campaign was faltering due to security force action and a refusal of the people of Northern Ireland to go where they wanted to take them.

However it still needed a framework to be created which could bed down the peace that was to emerge after so many wasteful years of conflict.

He, together with John Hume, Seamus Mallon, John Alderdice, Tony Blair, Bertie Aherne, Bill Clinton and many others helped create that structure.

It has the potential to create a socially and economically successful Northern Ireland with substantial and meaningful relations across the island of Ireland and between these islands and beyond.

That is what the reality is of what has emerged over the last 25 years and what was endorsed by the people in 1998.

It should never be forgotten the David Trimble was let down by some of those who helped shape the 1998 agreement over normal democratic expectations and then he was politically assassinated by the same republican movement over their refusal to decommission their weapons.

They recognised his commitment to constructive engagement and promotion of an equality that could be respected between the traditions on this island as the greatest threat to their flawed ideology.

Strategically they needed a unionism that was unattractive, easily stereotyped and demonised.

David Trimble helped with those others to create a future which would not be determined by those who hate the most.

When I first met him he corrected my comments on ‘power sharing’ to say it was all about ‘responsibility sharing’!

Those words should be reflected on by all of us and encourage us to challenge ourselves and those around us to shape a peaceful and socially and economically successful island for the benefit of ourselves and our children.

David Trimble did not do ‘vision’, yet by his actions, that is the vision that emerged and we owe him a massive debt of gratitude for that.

We should appreciate and embrace our responsibility to ensure that vision is our future.

Trevor Ringland, Solicitor, reconciliation activist, ex Ireland rugby international, ex political candidate