'He did the Irish State a lot of service': Leading Donegal Fine Gael figures rememeber John Bruton

Former Donegal TD Dinny McGinley has remembered the late John Bruton as ‘a very committed, dedicated public service person’

Mr Burton, the former Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, passed away on Tuesday following a long illness. Aged 76, he died peacefully in the Mater Private Hospital, surrounded by his family.

Mr McGinley served alongside Mr Bruton as a Fine Gael TD for 22 years between 1982 and 2004 - when Mr Bruton took up the role of the European Union’s ambassador to the US.

“John was a farmer from County Meath, but he devoted his life to politics,” Mr McGinley told Donegal Live. “He was very highly qualified as a barrister and he also had an Arts degree and was very good on economics. John was just really a very committed, dedicated public service person, ever since the age of 22 when he became the youngest TD in the Dáil.

“I was very sorry to hear the news that John has passed away. I served for quite a number of years on his front bench and he was always, even when he became the party leader, great with keeping in touch with his TDs. You could always approach him if you had any sort of a problem at all.”

At various stages in his political life, Mr McGinley was the Fine Gael spokesperson on Defence; Youth Affairs; the Gaeltacht; the Gaeltacht and Emigrant Welfare; Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands; and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Mr Bruton was the leader of Fine Gael from 1990-2001 and headed the Fine Gael-Labour-Democratic Left Rainbow Coalition government from December 1994-June 1997.

During his time in the Dáil, he held several ministries, including the finance, industry and public service portfolios.

Mr McGinley said: “I admired him and he was always very concerned with what was going on in Northern Ireland. He used to always say ‘if we can’t understand what they stand for, how can we bring them together?’ He wasn’t there for the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, but he was there when the foundation was put down. Himself and John Major worked very closely and he was heavily involved in getting Senator George Mitchell from America to come and chair the peace talks.

“John did the Irish State a lot of service.

“John was a really dedicated Christian and I remember being in Berlin away back when I was only starting off in politics and his first priority was finding the nearest Church to go to Mass. He was very dedicated to his parish and to County Meath.”

Tributes have poured in from across the political spectrum.

Mr Bruton was the Fine Gael leader when Donegal TD and former Minister for Education Joe McHugh entered politics in the late 1990s.

“He was always very supportive and encouraging and aware of the work I was involved in the peace and reconciliation side,” Deputy McHugh told Donegal Live.

“He was always very inquisitive about the cross-border work that I was involved in He was very gentle and he had a great curiosity and was a committed and creative political thinker.”

Deputy McHugh said Mr Bruton continued to ‘promote and influence policy’ even after he stepped down as the party leader.

He said: “He was always very affable and engaging in conversation and was continually looking at new ways to create a better society and a better Ireland.”