Portraits in Power: John Bruton

Luck was on John Bruton’s side when he was installed as leader of the Rainbow coalition. He led what some analysts describe as one of the best governments since independence, but good fortune deserted him in the end, writes Pat Rabbitte

John Bruton (1947-)

Party: Fine Gael

Constituency: Meath

In office: December 1994-June 1997

Key quote:“The government must go about its work without excess or extravagance and as transparently as if it were working behind a pane of glass.” (1994)

Historians will find it difficult to settle on whether John Bruton was a lucky or an unlucky politician. There certainly was an element of good fortune about the bizarre and unprecedented circumstances that made ...