US diplomat Dr Richard Haass, who is also President of the Council on Foreign Relations, is to receive the 2013 Tipperary International Peace Award.

The award will be presented to Dr Haass by the Tipperary Peace Convention later this year.

Dr Haass chaired all-party talks in Northern Ireland on flags, parades and the legacy of the troubles.

Although the talks broke up on New Year’s Eve without an agreement, it is acknowledged that considerable progress was made particularly on issues dealing with the past.

In a statement, organisers of the award said it acknowledges "the great work undertaken by Dr Haass in the talks process, which has laid the foundations and created the environment for a more peaceful and prosperous future".

Responding to the news, Dr Haass said he viewed the award as a "tribute to the many people across Northern Ireland who have done so much to promote genuine reconciliation there".

He said: "I have been fortunate to meet and work with numerous people dedicated to Northern Ireland's future, and am gratified to be recognised alongside such individuals as Bill Clinton, George Mitchell, Mary and Martin McAleese, Robin Eames, and the others who have dedicated themselves to the cause of peace in Northern Ireland and beyond."

Previous recipients of the Tipperary International Peace Award include the late Nelson Mandela and Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai.