John McGahon (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It has been a very sad few days for Fine Gael, which like most political parties in this country is a family or tribe, as such, and John was our leader for a very long time so there is a huge tinge of sadness there.

When I look at John Bruton, I look at a man who gave definition to politics, to Fine Gael and to his role as a leader and Taoiseach. He was absolutely unequivocal in his opposition to the IRA and to terrorism. That steadfastness on that issue, together with other Fine Gael people like Paddy Cooney, was a real source of comfort to the thousands of people, particularly in the Border region, who rejected the horrific violence of the IRA in this country. John Bruton stood strongly and steadfastly against that. He did that in a time when it was dangerous for it to be done.The death of Senator Billy Fox, who served alongside John Bruton, was a turning point - when he saw that violence - in John’s career. John Bruton was a strong man of courage in the way he took on the IRA at all opportunities.

That is why he was a defining politician for me: he took a stand. He stood for something and said what he believed in, whether it was popular or not. He made his views known. One does not see that in the modern era of politics, where most politicians try to be all things to all people. He took a stand, he was prepared to argue that stand and he took on all comers. I think standing for things and taking a stand on an issue is a good, important trait for a politician to have, and John Bruton had that. He was a man of very strong opinions, even if those opinions went against the common consensus of people. That common consensus was spoken about with regard to John Redmond and Redmondism. I consider myself to be - and my family’s history comes from - that Redmondite tradition; that Irish Parliamentary Party tradition and home rule tradition. That is a tradition I am proud to be part of and one that John was proud to be part of as well.

As I sit here in the back row with my colleagues, Senators Currie, Cummins and Ahearn, all of our family members served with John Bruton in Dáil Éireann over different periods. The fact that John even up until his recent illness was always there to offer advice and support to newer members of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party showed how in tune he still was with the party he had led and the party he loved so much.

I look back to when my late uncle, Brendan McGahon, who had served with him for 20 years, died.. In his obituary in 2017, it stated:

Former Fine Gael taoiseach John Bruton provided what was probably the best summing up of Mr McGahon's career, saying, “Brendan was an exceptionally courageous politician who stood up for the democratic institutions of the State. He was a true original who thought for himself."

I wish to take this opportunity to repay that compliment to John Bruton, because he was the definition of a true original, a courageous politician and a parliamentarian who served this State with exceptional ability. He will be greatly missed by all of us who had the pleasure to know him.

To finish up and not to detract from the seriousness of this – Senator Cassells may remember this – I will tell you what James Bond and John Bruton have in common. As a child, I was utterly obsessed with James Bond and I still am to this day. In 1999, my late mother took me to Navan, where Pierce Brosnan was being offered the freedom of Navan. I went there dressed as James Bond. Unfortunately, I did not get to meet Pierce Brosnan and I did not get my picture taken with him. However, my late mother and my father introduced me to my uncle’s and dad’s boss, John Bruton, who was speaking at that event. While I did not get a picture with James Bond, I got a picture with John Bruton at nine years of age. I still have that picture to this day.

Frankly, we will never see the likes of John Bruton again in this House for the quality of parliamentarian that he was. As a State, we were very lucky to have a person of his ability, calibre and decency lead this country.