This year’s gathering is important for Hume, too. No Irish politician has been more instrumental in enlisting Washington to help resolve the sectarian conflict in the North. In 1998 Hume shared the Nobel Peace Prize with David Trimble, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. But in recent months Hume, 63, has been hospitalized for long stretches and undergone a series of operations, including a colostomy. The trip to Washington is part of his gradual re-entry into politics. He is now “on the mend,” as he said during an interview last week with NEWSWEEK’s Stryker McGuire and Barry White. They spoke over a light lunch in Hume’s hometown of Derry. Excerpts:
