John Bruton served as taoiseach from 1994 to 1997
The former Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) John Bruton has died after a long illness.
In a statement, his family said the 76-year-old Fine Gael politician had died in the Mater Hospital in Dublin early on Tuesday.
“He was a good husband, a good father, and a true patriot. We will miss him greatly,” the statement said.
Mr Bruton served as taoiseach from 1994 to 1997.
He was instrumental in the evolving Northern Ireland peace process along with UK Prime Minister John Major, with whom he launched the Anglo-Irish Framework Document, external in 1995.
Image source, PA
John Major (left) and John Bruton were heavily involved in the Northern Ireland peace process in the mid-1990s
He was born in Dublin on 18 May 1947.
He was elected to the Dáil (lower house of Irish Parliament) to represent Meath in 1969.
As taoiseach he led a so-called “rainbow coalition” government of Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left but lost the 1997 general election to Bertie Ahern’s Fianna Fáil.
He continued to lead Fine Gael until 2001 and later served as the EU ambassador to the United States.
