Mr McGinn's talk, entitled ‘Rights, responsibilities and respect: building the common good’, included a call for a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland, an instrument that could address issues including women’s rights, language rights and equal marriage rights for the LGBT community.

Mr McGinn said: "the Government needs to make clear how they intend to ensure...the right to equal marriage in Northern Ireland", adding that this "has the support of the Assembly, the public and, I believe, Parliament".

Originally from County Armagh, Mr McGinn is now MP for St Helens North in England; but he still retains close links with Northern Ireland, and considers himself a "child of the peace process". In a wide-ranging discussion after the lecture, he reiterated the principles of democracy and non-violence at the heart of the Agreement of 1998, and emphasised the great progress and new opportunities it opened up.

A video of the lecture will be available on the Queen’s University YouTube channel shortly.