Omagh bombing ‘doubled his determination to achieve peace’

The former Presbyterian moderator said: “As first minister, David had to cut short a family holiday in order to get home to visit Omagh in the aftermath of that terrible bombing which killed so many, an experience that left him utterly devastated but doubled his determination to keep building bridges and working for peace.

“I can remember bumping into him days after the conclusion of the Good Friday Agreement and hearing how, afterwards, on his way home he had gone to a hole in the wall but could not remember his pin number.

“That was an indication of being under almost unbearable stress, but then he always had the courage of his convictions and was prepared to pay the cost.”

Dr McMullen said he hoped the funeral service could be used as an inspiration to redouble efforts to resolve political differences in Northern Ireland.

Referring to Lord Trimble’s Nobel prize speech in 1998, he told mourners: “In that speech, David made this inspiring comment: ‘The dark shadow we seem to see in the distance is not really a mountain ahead, but the shadow of the mountain behind – a shadow from the past thrown forward into our future. It is a dark sludge of historical sectarianism.

“‘We can leave it behind us if we wish.

“‘But both communities must leave it behind, because both created it’.

“It is a very powerful quotation because it reminds us of the achievements of the Good Friday Agreement in placing the principle of consent at the centre of our politics and ultimately removing the gun.

“It reminds us also that, although we are on a journey from the past, the mountain still casts a shadow and we are all, to a greater or lesser extent, recovering sectarians.

“Can we use this service today, in a fitting tribute to one of the great, to redouble our efforts on this island home of ours?

“With courage, pragmatism and generosity of spirit, may our politicians engage wholeheartedly in resolving the outstanding issues surrounding the Northern Ireland Protocol, so that our democratic institutions are quickly restored and we can all move forward together.”

Dr McMullen added: “He was a committed family man and, as I have sat with Daphne, his daughters Victoria and Sarah, and sons Richard and Nicholas over these past few days, I have been deeply touched and moved by so many stories, all of which underlined how dearly loved he was by them.

“They gave him to us and we want to take this opportunity to express our deepest appreciation to them.”

At the end of the service the Trimble family led mourners from the church, before taking time to meet those who had attended the service.