David Trimble Biography

In 1975, David Trimble was elected to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention for the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party. The party was known for its opposition towards the British government’s rule over Northern Ireland. He became a deputy leader of the party.

In 1977, he became a member of the Ulster Unionist Party, the conservative political party in Northern Ireland. At the time, the party was divided over the issue of integration with the United Kingdom and the restoration of Northern Ireland’s government.

In 1990, he resigned from his academic career when he was elected to Parliament. He won with a slight majority (58%) and was one of a handful of politicians who supported the Islamic government of Bosnia. Additionally, it was public knowledge that he had an unforgiving view towards Catholics.

In 1995, he became the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. His election was shocking as he not only defeated favorite front-runner John Taylor, but also won support during the aftermath of the controversial Drumcree conflict.

As a result of his 1998 Belfast Agreement, David Trimble was overwhelmingly elected as the First Minister of Northern Ireland. Terms of this agreement involved the decommissioning of the IRA which Trimble struggled to implement during his entire stay in office.

In 2000, his First Minister status was suspended due to the party’s refusal to hand over its weapons. A few months later, he was back in office but continued to have problems with decommissioning the IRA. He resigned one year later, only to be reelected once more. The office was again suspended.

Despite this cycle, in 2004 he was again elected as the UUP’s party leader. Due to his shortcomings and embarrassing defeats in the House of Commons, he resigned as party leader and went on to join the Conservative Party.

The 1998 Belfast Agreement was David Trimble’s plan to take action towards restoring Northern Ireland’s self-government. This agreement, though eventually accepted, was met with much opposition from both parties. This agreement led to his election as the First Minister of Northern Ireland.

David Trimble was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998. The honor was given for his negotiations between Catholics and Protestants and the British and Irish in Northern Ireland. His Belfast Agreement allowed for self-government, the release of imprisoned terrorists, the destruction of unlawful weapons, and a reexamination of the penal code.

David married Heather McComb in 1968; the marriage ended in divorce in 1976.

In 1978, he married a former student of his, Daphne Elizabeth. Together, they have four children. His wife shares his political passion and herself served as a member of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

David Trimble died on July 25, 2022, at the age of 77, following a short illness.

The political passion passed on from mother and father to their son as well. One of his sons, Nicholas Trimble, is the Secretary of the Ulster Unionist Branch in Lisburn.

His peace talks during 1998 caused such uproar on both political sides that it was not safe for him to visit some districts. After the agreement was accepted, however, he was elected by the majority as First Minister.

When he met with the Sinn Fein leader to discuss compromise, it was the first time since 1922 that Protestant leaders from Northern Ireland had met face-to-face with Catholic leaders from the republic. They were both reluctant to meet, avoided eye contact with each other, and refused to shake hands.

Before he went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize, he was a leader in the controversial Drumcree conflict. The conflict was between Protestant unionists and Catholic nationalists. He was instrumental in opposing a police ban for a Protestant to march through the Catholic quarter during a parade on July 12 each year. Between 1995–2000, this dispute raised international attention to the violence and protests it caused.