Today, with Helen Brooker (Upper Top Right), I  attended the funeral of my friend and colleague former Belfast city councillor and Progressive Unionist Party leader Alderman Hugh Smyth. Helen’s husband David had been Hugh’s surgeon and looked after his palliative care

Hugh, who was 73, died on Monday. He had served on Belfast City Council for 41 years and was a former Lord Mayor. I was his Deputy Lord Mayor in 1994 and he sent me on missions to Nashville, Tennessee to twin that City with Belfast and to Ankara in Turkey for a conference on Bosnia. I also accompanied him  to Dublin when he made the first visit of a Belfast Lord Mayor to the Lord Mayor of Dublin, when we visited the Shankill Crozier in the National Museum.  

His coffin was escorted from West Belfast Orange Hall on Shankill Road to St Anne’s Cathedral for the service.

His former party colleagues Billy Hutchinson and Ken Wilkinson carried the coffin into the cathedral and the oration was given by my old pupil Councillor Dr John Kyle.

Councillors from across the political divide attended the service.

Hugh gave up the PUP leadership in 2002, when he was succeeded by David Ervine.

He was first elected as a councillor in May 1972 and was one of the best-known characters at Belfast City Hall until he stood down last December.

He also served in the 1974 Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Convention.

Hugh was awarded an OBE for his services to the community in 1996.