NI leaders pay tribute to George Quigley

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have led tributes to businessman Sir George Quigley, who has died aged 83.

Mr Quigley was a former senior Northern Ireland civil servant, former chairman of Ulster Bank and chairman of Short Brothers.

He was also a longstanding supporter of the peace process, an advocate for a reduction in corporation tax in the North, and a proponent of an all-island economy.

Together with former Church of Ireland primate Lord Eames, he oversaw the UDA decommissioning of its weapons three years ago.

In a long career Mr Quigley also served as a non-executive director on the main board of NatWest bank, as chairman of the Northern Ireland Economic Council, as president of the Economic and Social Research Institute in the South, and as chairman of the board of the Institute for British-Irish Studies at University College Dublin.

In a joint statement, Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness offered their condolences to Mr Quigley’s family, friends and colleagues.