'A great leader and a great patriot': Limerick's Michael Noonan pays tribute to former Taoiseach John Bruton

FORMER Taoiseach John Bruton has been remembered as a "great leader and a great patriot" by former Limerick TD Michael Noonan.

The family of the former Fine Gael leader announced this Tuesday morning that he had passed away aged 76 following a long illness.

He served as his party's leader between 1990 and 2001, including a stint as Taoiseach in the rainbow coalition 1994 to 1997, which saw Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left coalesce.

Mr Bruton was replaced as Fine Gael leader by Mr Noonan, who said: "He is gone before his time. He was a great Irishman, a great leader and a great patriot."

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"He was excellent to work with. Especially during his period as Taoiseach. He set in train a lot of the prosperity the country now enjoys," the former Finance Minister added.

The former Taoiseach, who died peacefully in Dublin's Mater Private Hospital surrounded by his family, represented the Meath constituency from 1969 to 2004 when he resigned his seat to take up a role as EU ambassador to the United States.

In her early years as a member of the old Limerick City Council, Senator Maria Byrne sat on committees in Brussels, and recalls how welcoming Mr Bruton was to her.

"He always went out of his way to ensure you were not lost, that everything was ok. He really was a gentleman," she said, "He did so much for the country. We were going into a recession when he was in power, and he started the job of bringing the country back."

One thing she remembers is his "great hearty laugh."

Fine Gael's Limerick TD Patrick O'Donovan was national president of Young Fine Gael when Mr Bruton was party leader.

"We often had a bit of argy bargy with, but I had huge respect for him. He led the party at a time when there was difficulty on the island. I think his tenure as Taoiseach will be remembered for the work he did with [former British Prime Minister] John Major in advancing a settlement in Northern Ireland," he said.

"History will be very kind to him as a decent person who had a fundamental commitment to democracy and the rule of law," Mr O'Donovan added.

Fine Gael Mayor of Limerick Gerald Mitchell also picked up on his work which paved the way for the Belfast Agreement, signed on Good Friday 1998.

"He left a lasting legacy in the Good Friday Agreement. He represented the true qualities of decency within the Fine Gael party. A very sound man. An excellent leader as far as I was concerned, and he had big support in rural Ireland," he said, "He was very approachable, very sound, and would give you great advice."

"Very pragmatic, very sound, a genuine leader. He was well respected from top to bottom," the mayor concluded.