BONO TOOK some time out of U2's concert in Belfast to pay a powerful tribute to John Hume, the former SDLP leader who is seriously ill.
Hume is rightly regarded as one of the main architects of the Northern Ireland peace process and in 2010 was named as Ireland's Greatest in a poll conducted by RTE.
A co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize alongside David Trimble in 1998, the Derry politician is also a recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize and the Martin Luther King Award.
In 2012 he was made a Knight Commander of the Papal Order of St. Gregory the Great by the Pope.
According to Irish News, Bono honoured Hume during his introduction to one of U2's signature hits, Pride (In the Name of Love) at the SSE Arena.
"From Fitzroy Avenue to Cyprus Avenue; Palestine Street to Jerusalem Street. Blessed are the peacemakers. I remember John Hume and his vision. Let's sing for him tonight," he said.
Bono (C) holds up the arms of Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble (L) and SDLP leader John Hume on stage during a concertThe gig also saw Bono broach the subject of Brexit and Belfast's role in the ongoing negotiations, ahead of the looming March 31st deadline.
"Belfast, still a great European city... always and for ever," he told fans [via Irish News].
"Whatever happens, whether there's a hard or soft or no border at all, more than ever, we need to trust each other on this small island in the North Atlantic Ocean. It looks like some rough weather ahead but it'll be a lot less rough if we navigate it together.
"We must be smart, strategic and work together."
(Picture: Getty)Bono previously passed comment on Brexit during U2's performance at the O2 Arena in London, addressing the crowd with his thoughts on the issue.
"We've just been touring all across Europe and whatever you think about it, all we heard about from Madrid to Berlin to Paris to Amsterdam is that people love the UK," he said.
"They love you. And no-one wants you to leave. And that's just the truth. For us, it's more than just a gold star falling off a blue flag.
"It's a loss of shared dreams, shared strengths. Without you, we are less. Without you, the English, the Scottish, the Welsh, the Northern Irish, we are less."
