Former Ulster Unionist Party leader James Molyneaux has died aged 94.
Mr Molyneaux was one of the longest serving leaders of the UUP.
He joined the UUP in 1946 and was its leader between 1979 and 1995, a period which included the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement - a development he strongly opposed.
A soldier during World War II, he was among the first British troops to enter the liberated Nazi concentration camp at Bergen Belsen in Germany in 1945.
He was knighted in 1996 and became a life peer in 1997, taking the title Lord Molyneaux of Killead.
For almost 30 years, Mr Molyneaux was the head of one of the loyal orders in Northern Ireland, the Royal Black Institution.
Former First Minister and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, David Trimble, has said Mr Molyneux had contributed considerably to stability in political life and to life in general in Northern Ireland.
Mr Trimble said Mr Molyneux had started the peace process, from the Unionist point of view.
"He proceeded cautiously, but he proceeded nonetheless".
He said Mr Molyneux had remained focused on retaining stability.
Mr Trimble said Mr Molyneux was disappointed by the behaviour of Margaret Thatcher in the lead-up to the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
However, he said that throughout this time, despite the negative reaction to the Agreement, Mr Molyneux was careful to ensure that the political system retained its stability "despite the powerful jolt it had received as result of Margaret's folly".
President Michael D Higgins said Mr Molyneaux became an "icon in the Unionist tradition and will be missed, not only by colleagues in that tradition, but by many others who were appreciative of a life devoted to public service and the world of politics".
Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan also expressed his condolences.
"Jim Molyneaux's political career spanned three decades and he was one of the longest-serving leaders of the Ulster Unionist Party," Mr Flanagan said.
"He resolutely led the party during some of the most difficult days of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. As such, he was part of a generation that fully appreciated the significance of the peaceful society which Northern Ireland is today."
Mr Flanagan praised the former unionist leader for the way he represented his community in Northern Ireland.
"My thoughts are with his family and friends today as they mourn their loss," he added.
UUP leader Mike Nesbitt paid tribute saying Mr Molyneaux "brought a stability to the unionist party at a time when it was much needed."
UUP leader Mike Nesbitt paid tribute saying Mr Molyneaux "brought a stability to the unionist party at a time when it was much needed."
"Lord Molyneaux led the party during some of Northern Ireland's most bloody and turbulent years, providing leadership not only to the Ulster Unionist Party during that time, but also to the country," he said.
"He led for 16 years, a remarkable feat given the party had no fewer than four different leaders in the 16 years prior to him taking over.
"The stability he offered was critical, as was his unbending passion for securing Northern Ireland's place within the Union.
"This was particularly key during the aftermath of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, a challenge of seismic proportions within unionism."
Mr Nesbitt said Mr Molyneaux's experience in Bergen Belsen stayed with him for the rest of his life.
"I believe that experience crystallised the values that guided his political life," he said.
"He was no showman, but a man of immense guile, playing the game of political chess, ignoring the cheap headlines to focus on strategic outcomes.
"The sight of Lord Molyneaux as Ulster Unionist Party leader wearing his medals as he laid the wreath on behalf of the party at the Cenotaph in London every Remembrance Sunday was a powerful image which epitomised the ideals of dignity and service which he embodied.
"On behalf of the party, I give thanks for a long life, well-lived, in dedicated service to the people."
Democratic Unionist leader Peter Robinson said Mr Molyneaux was "first and foremost a committed unionist".
"Everything he worked for in politics had the preservation and promotion of the Union at its core," he said.
"Through his service in the RAF in World War Two and 27 years as a Member of Parliament he was marked by a quiet determination and diplomacy.
"Jim's leadership encompassed many difficult years for unionism and his skills were key to ensuring that the Ulster Unionist Party held together when there were competing viewpoints about how to move forward.
"Having worked with him throughout those years I can pay tribute to those skills and to his devotion to Northern Ireland and the Union.
"My thoughts and prayers are with Jim's family and closest friends at this time as they mourn this sad loss."
