John Hume funeral: 'He was there for all of us throughout his life'

John Hume Jr, the son of Nobel laureate John Hume, paid a heart-warming tribute at the funeral of his father.

He reflected the importance of his father's long career in working to secure peace and reach unprecedented political agreement.

"At this time of planetary fragility, more than ever, he would be urging that we move beyond our flag-based identities, and recognise the need to protect our common home," said Mr Hume Jr.

"Central to dad's work was his deep appreciation of human interdependency.

"We all need one another, we all have a role to play, and all our roles are of equal importance."

Reflecting on his family life, John Hume Jr said there "were times I think we all felt he was absent".

"But he wasn't - he was just with us from somewhere else."