Irish TV premiere for '˜matserful' John Hume film

‘In the Name of Peace: John Hume in America’, directed by Maurice Fitzpatrick and narrated by Ballymena-born Hollywood actor Liam Neeson, will be screened on RTE One on Tuesday, August 7, at 9:35 pm.

The documentary tells the compelling story of the Derry man’s successful pursuit of peace in Northern Ireland through his co-operation with senior politicians in the United States.

It recounts how John Hume harnessed the power and influence of the Irish American diaspora as part of a strategy to bring about a cessation of violence.

With an original musical score by Bill Whelan, the 90-minutes film includes dramatic footage from the conflict in Northern Ireland.

It also features interviews with Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, US Congressmen and Senators, former British PM Tony Blair and personal accounts from Bono, Bertie Ahern, David Trimble and Enda Kenny, depicting Hume’s role as one of the architects of the historic peace process.

Likened to Martin Luther King by Bill Clinton, John Hume, reveals the film, is revered both at home and abroad as a social justice champion.

The film also highlights Hume’s intellect and the civil rights convictions that put him at the forefront of politics and peace throughout the violent years of the Northern Ireland Troubles.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has hailed the film and the accompanying book as “masterful.”