British PM hails 'giant' Trimble as N.Ireland buries peace architect

A person holds a funeral program as people gather for the funeral of Northern Ireland's former First Minister David Trimble, one of the key peace brokers of the Good Friday Agreement, at Harmony Hill Presbyterian Church, in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, August 1, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

BELFAST (Reuters) -Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed Nobel Peace laureate David Trimble as a giant of British history for leading Northern Ireland's Protestant majority to a 1998 peace deal, as allies and former enemies joined to pay their respects at his funeral.

Trimble, who was the first to hold the office of Northern Irish First Minister following the power-sharing deal that largely ended three decades of bloodshed in the region, died on July 25 at the age of 77 following a short illness.