Politicians in the North have been paying tribute to former Northern Ireland home secretary Mo Mowlam who died this morning.
Former Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said that she had played a "key role" in negotiations for the Belfast Agreement.
He said:"I remember the first time I met Mo when Neil Kinnock was Labour leader and she was junior Northern Ireland spokesman.
"She was like a breath of fresh air in the context of that time because she realised the policy that the Labour Party had at that time was unworkable and wrong.
"She knew she couldn't change it but she was determined to do what she could to improve relations with people here in Northern Ireland - and that she did."
Current Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey said although he never agreed with her policies, Ms Mowlam had helped boost Northern Ireland's economy during her time there.
"She was a brave and sometimes controversial secretary of state and will most likely be remembered for her decision to go on her own to visit loyalist paramilitaries in the Maze Prison - a bold and audacious strategy at the time," said Mr Empey .
Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness said Ms Mowlam had brought a unique energy to the search for a political settlement when she was appointed in Northern Ireland after the 1997 general election and was an obvious departure from her predecessors.
"She played a crucial role in the negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement and it is that Agreement which will be remembered as her political legacy," Mr McGuinness said.
"There were, of course, occasions when we clashed, most notably when she caved in to Orange Order threats and forced an Orange march along the Garvaghy Road in Portadown and when she authorised the bugging of a car used by Gerry Adams and myself during the negotiations.
"However, Mo Mowlam will be remembered fondly by the vast majority of Irish people and I would extend my thoughts and sympathies to her husband Jon and the rest of her family at this time," he added.
SDLP leader Mark Durkan said she came to Northern Ireland in very difficult circumstances - both personally and politically - and won the respect and admiration of many local politicians and the wider public.
"While she was undoubtedly one of the great characters in political life, Mo Mowlam should not just be remembered for her wicked sense of humour or her charismatic personality," he said.
"She should also be remembered for her deep sense of social justice, her tremendous courage and compassion and, above all, for the contribution she made to the achievement of the Good Friday Agreement."
The leader of Northern Ireland's cross community Alliance Party, David Ford, said Mowlam had played a significant part in moving society forward in the province and bringing about the Good Friday Agreement.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain also offered tribute to his predecessor. Mr Hain said: "Mo was a brave politician who fought for the forgotten and deprived wherever they were. She cut through conventions and made difficult decisions that gave momentum to political progress."