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Peace process priest Father Alec Reid dies | Peace process priest Father Alec Reid dies |
(35 minutes later) | |
Fr Alec Reid, who acted as go-between between the IRA and politicians, coaxing the Northern Ireland peace process into being, has died. | Fr Alec Reid, who acted as go-between between the IRA and politicians, coaxing the Northern Ireland peace process into being, has died. |
He died in a Dublin Hospital at 06:40 GMT on Friday. | He died in a Dublin Hospital at 06:40 GMT on Friday. |
Fr Reid, a member of the Redemptorist order, secretly acted as a conduit between the leaders of the republican movement and the British government. | |
He has been widely acknowledged as an important figure in the Irish peace process. | He has been widely acknowledged as an important figure in the Irish peace process. |
Fr Reid was one of the witnesses who confirmed the decommissioning of IRA weapons. | |
'Immense contribution' | |
In recent years, he was involved in talks with Basque nationalists seeking independence from Spain. | |
West Belfast MLA Alex Attwood described him as a man who "played an intrinsic part in the foundation of the peace process". | |
"On behalf of the SDLP, I want to convey our deep sympathy to Fr Reid's family and to his fellow priests and Brothers," he said. | |
"Fr Reid made an immense contribution to peace and to the lives of countless numbers of people. | |
"He lived out his faith conviction in the lives of people. This place and our people are the better for all of his work." |