Presbyterian minister the Reverend Roy Magee (79) who helped broker the 1994 loyalist ceasefire in Northern Ireland has died.
Rev Magee was central to efforts to persuade gunmen to lay down their arms but died after battling Parkinson's disease for many years, a colleague said.
Originally from north Belfast, he mediated talks between loyalists and the government which paved the way for the 1998 Belfast Agreement.
Rev Magee spent much of his life as a minister in Dundonald, east Belfast, having worked in churches in some of the most hard-bitten areas of the city. He held meetings with the Ulster Defence Association and Ulster Volunteer Force and was awarded an OBE for his work.
Presbyterian Moderator Dr Donald Patton said the public owed Rev Magee a huge debt of gratitude.
"His living and working experience, particularly of urban Belfast, together with his integrity of character enabled him to gain the respect and confidence of those involved in loyalist paramilitarism and convince them of his belief, born out of his practical Christian faith, of the need to end violence and promote their cause by peaceful means," he said.
Minister of State Martin Mansergh, who was also a central figure in the peace process, said: "He played a key role in bringing about the loyalist ceasefires in 1994, but also in helping to make progress in the early stages of the peace process and calming fears at a time of dangerous tensions," he said.
Rev Magee drafted rights which were contained in the Belfast Agreement and met former taoiseach Albert Reynolds regularly in the mid-1990s.
Church of Ireland Bishop Alan Abernethy said Rev Magee was a "man of integrity and spiritual strength who, in quiet and sometimes untold ways, left an immense mark for the better in the communities in which he ministered in both East and North Belfast".
Alliance Party leader David Ford also praised the cleric. "His important role in the talks aimed at securing a loyalist ceasefire is an indication of the courage of the man. He deserves fulsome praise for his work with these unpredictable and volatile paramilitary groups," he said.
Rev Magee was on the Parades Commission which ruled mainly on the route or restrictions on controversial loyal order parades but left at the start of 2006.
A spokesman for the Commission paid tribute to his work. "He was a very dedicated and committed commissioner and was well-respected by his colleagues and the staff of the commission," he said.
Frankie Gallagher, who advised the UDA during their negotiations, said he was saddened by the news. "He was a pillar for people in the loyalist community going through difficult times,” he said. “He brought stability and common sense. If it was not for him there would have been a lot more people killed and he will be a bad loss.
PA