Ciaran McKeown: A driving force behind the Peace People

Ciaran McKeown, one of the founders of Northern Ireland's Peace People, has died aged 76.

The writer, journalist and peace activist was a driving force behind the movement that was born out of tragedy during the Troubles.

On 10 August 1976, Anne Maguire was walking along Finaghy Road North in Belfast with her three children.

An out-of-control car driven by IRA man Danny Lennon plunged into them.

He had been fatally wounded by a British Army patrol that was chasing him.

Andrew Maguire who just was six weeks old and in his pram died instantly, as did his sister Joanne who was eight and had been riding her bicycle.

Their brother, John, aged two and a half years, died the following day in hospital.

Anne Maguire was maimed physically and mentally by the tragedy and took her own life some years later.

At the time, her sister Mairead Corrigan made a grief stricken appeal on television for peace.

It struck a note with the community and with the wider world. Prayer vigils and protests were organised.

Within three days, Mairead was joined by Betty Williams - a mother who arrived at the scene shortly after the crash happened.

A few days later, McKeown met them and they founded the Peace People.

At the time, he was the northern correspondent for the now defunct Irish Press newspaper, as well as honorary editor of Fortnight magazine.

He left journalism to work alongside the women to galvanise the intense response from across the globe.

It was McKeown who named the movement, wrote its declaration and set out its rally programme.

More than 100,000 people subsequently signed that declaration.

In the weeks and months that followed, they formed street groups, led rallies, campaigned in the United States against funds for the IRA and opened their own office.

Thousands joined them in marches across Northern Ireland and one of their most high-profile rallies was held in London's Trafalgar Square, when folk singer and political activist Joan Baez serenaded the crowd.

Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams were awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1976.

Although he was very much to the fore in the movement, McKeown did not receive the prize.

The organisation was portrayed in the media as a women's drive for peace and he, himself, was portrayed as the "bearded Svengali" behind the scenes.

There were disputes within the organisation and, by the 1980s, both Betty Williams and Ciaran McKeown had left. Mairead Corrigan Maguire continued on.

McKeown later published his own story, The Passion of Peace.

In the later years of his career, he worked at various times for the Irish News, News Letter and Daily Mirror.

McKeown was born in Londonderry in 1943, the son of a teacher.

He was raised in Belfast where he spent most of his life, working as a journalist, in addition to time as a student leader, civil rights activist and peace activist.

He considered joining the Catholic priesthood and served as a Dominican novice for a short period.

He went on to Queen's University, Belfast, where he studied philosophy.

In 1966 he became the first person from a Catholic background to be elected President of Queen's University student representative council, after securing cross-community support among the student body.

He died peacefully at his home in Belfast on Sunday after an illness.

He was predeceased by his wife, Marianne and leaves seven children.