Tributes have been pouring in following the death of one of the founder members of the SDLP, Paddy Devlin. Mr Devlin who was 74 had been ill for some time. The SDLP leader, John Hume tonight described his death as "tragic", adding that Mr Devlin had given the people of Northern Ireland an outstanding service. In a statement, The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that Mr Devlin's life and work were equally marked by his social vision as well as his political concern. He said that Mr Devlin had been totally committed to the cause of civil rights and to the trade union movement. Mr Ahern said that his contribution to Northern Ireland politics and life had been immense.
Mr Devlin served as Minister for Health during the Stormont power-sharing executive of 1974 and was made District Secretary of the ITGWU in 1976. He left the SDLP in 1977 after a rift with colleagues over what he called "narrow Nationalism".
