Hume, Trimble in Oslo for Nobel Peace Prize ceremony

The joint Nobel laureates, Mr David Trimble and Mr John Hume, arrived in Oslo this morning to prepare for tomorrow's Peace Prize…

The joint Nobel laureates, Mr David Trimble and Mr John Hume, arrived in Oslo this morning to prepare for tomorrow's Peace Prize ceremony at the City Hall.

The two leaders will give a press conference today before going into rehearsal for the prize-giving.

Tomorrow morning, before the ceremony, they will have an audience with King Harald and Queen Sonja at the royal palace, followed by a meeting with an invited group of 5,000 children.

After the ceremony a live interview with the two men will be broadcast worldwide on CNN. In the evening a torchlight procession past the Grand Hotel where they are staying will be followed by a celebration dinner.

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Mr Trimble will be accompanied at the ceremony by his wife, Daphne, children Richard (16), Victoria (14), Nicholas (11) and Sarah (6), his sister, Mrs Rosemary Steele, and brother, Flight Lieut Iain Trimble.

Senior Ulster Unionists will also attend, including the party president, Mr Josias Cunningham, Mr Jim Nicholson MEP, the party chairman, Mr Dennis Rogan, its treasurer, Mr Jack Allen, and the assistant treasurer, Mrs May Steele.

Mr Hume will be accompanied by his wife, Pat, and four of his children (all now adults), Aine, a doctor in Derry, John jnr, a PR executive in Brussels, Aidan, a banker in Boston and Mo, the youngest, who is an aid worker in El Salvador. Aine's three children will also attend but due to a slipped disc Mr Hume's other child, Therese, who lives in Co Donegal, will probably be unable to attend with her young son. Mr Hume's legendary Aunt Bella, a resident of the Bogside district in Derry, will lead the family group.

Bishop Edward Daly, an old friend of the SDLP leader, will also be present.

It had been intended that Mr Seamus Mallon would lead the SDLP parliamentary delegation, but due to pressure of events in the peace process, he will not now be travelling.

However, other senior SDLP members will be here, including Mr Mark Durkan and Mr Denis Haughey.

Others due to attend include Mr Tommy O'Neill, former lieutenant governor of Massachusetts and son of the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Thomas "Tip" O'Neill, Senator Chris Dodd, and the leader of the socialist group in the European Parliament, Ms Pauline Green.

The joint prize-winners will travel to Oslo from the National Democratic Institute awards ceremony in Washington DC in a private jet provided by the Heinz corporation at the initiative of Dr Tony O'Reilly.