Annie Courtney, a former Mayor of Derry and SDLP assembly member, has died at her home in Prehen.

Mrs Courtney, who worked as a nurse for 40 years, entered politics in 1985 when she was elected to Derry City Council as one of 14 SDLP councillors. She represented the rural district for two decades.

She served as Mayor in 1993 and was later co-opted into the Northern Ireland Assembly to replace then-SDLP leader John Hume when he stepped down to concentrate on his Westminster and European Parliament roles.

Her nursing background led to her appointment as the party's health spokesperson.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said she had made an enormous contribution to the city and had been a dedicated public servant. He noted that succeeding John Hume in the Assembly was something she never took lightly.

Mrs Courtney left the SDLP in 2003 after she was de-selected as an Assembly candidate. She stood as an independent in the 2005 council elections but was not returned.

Outside politics, she chaired the Millennium Forum and served on the boards of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and the Fisheries Conservancy Board. She was also involved in the campaign against the construction of an incinerator in Derry.

She was predeceased by her husband Sydney. She is survived by her children Linda, Sean and Raymond, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and her siblings Margaret and Bridie.

A Requiem Mass will be held at St Columb's Church on Chapel Road on Saturday at 11am, followed by burial in the City Cemetery.