The artwork forms the first of two to be unveiled 25 years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement to commemorate the Nobel Prize-winning peace work done by Hume and the late Lord David Trimble in Northern Ireland.
The Ceann Comhairle, Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl, unveiled the bust in the presence of Mr. Hume’s son, John Hume Jr., and the late Lord David Trimble’s wife, Lady Daphne. A bust of Lord Trimble is to be unveiled in December to coincide with the anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the two men "for their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland".
Paying tribute to John Hume, the Ceann Comhairle said:
The success of the peace process lay in building partnerships and forging positive relationships across a variety of different perspectives and traditions. In the words of John Hume himself ‘Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity’.
The event was well attended by people from both sides of the Border.
The bust was created by sculptor Elizabeth O'Kane and depicts Hume in his early 40s, wearing the pin of the Officier de Légion d’Honneur. Portraits of John Hume and David Trimble, painted by Edward McGuire and Colin Davidson respectively, were also on display for this event.