I also heard Seamus Mallon praising him on RTE at lunchtime and blaming the two governments for hanging him out to dry - weren't they meant to despise each other?

Very hard to have any affection for Trimble, but I think his contribution will be acknowledged once people are in a position to reflect on the past decade without wearing their party hats. He was a proper politican - pragmatic and thickskinned - the former being something NI could do with an awful lot more of.

'In time, I believe that David Trimble's contribution to Northern Ireland will be widely recognised.'

Otherwise there's no justice.

When the myopity of fear politics has passed, he’ll be seen as being a courageous leader.

"myopity"

Like it - almost gets MOPE and 'pity' into the same word. Shame it doesn't exist!

'Shame it doesn't exist!'

It does now! Fly free my beautiful creation.

Twas brillig, and the slithy DUPes
Did gyre and gimble in their myopity

"There's probably not a great deal of love lost been the Alliance leader David Ford and David Trimble, but the latter was fulsome in his praise of the UUP leader's achievements:"

One might expect David Trimble to have a positive perspective on his own achievements, but perhaps you meant to say "the former"?

"There's probably not a great deal of love lost been the Alliance leader David Ford and David Trimble, but the latter was fulsome in his praise of the UUP leader's achievements:"

One might expect Trimble to have a positive perspective on his own achievements, but perhaps that should read "the former was fulsome in his praise..."?

Joemomma.

While we are being pedantic.

"Fulsome" is one of those words that most people get wrong. It does not mean "hearty" as most people think.

In fact it means offensively flattering or insincere.

But its usage is now more often wrong than right that its dictionary meaning may have to be revised.

Reading Micks words exactly, taking note of joemommas point, Mick is telling us that David Trimble has praised himself in an offensively insincere way...

It feels good to be a pedant, doesn't it? If only I could have avoided double-posting above, it would feel even better :(