The 76-year-old passed away at the Mater Hospital after a long illness.
First elected to the Dail from the Meath constituency in 1969, John Bruton was a TD for 35 years - stepping down in 2004.
In that time, he held many ministries - such as Finance - before becoming leader of Fine Gael in 1990.
He was elected as Taoiseach in 1994 and he's remembered for establishing a relationship with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams
However, trust between John Bruton and Gerry Adams became frayed following the ending of the IRA ceasefire in 1996, and the bombings in London and the death of Garda Jerry McCabe.
He also faced allegations of corruption, most notably when Michael Lowry resigned from cabinet after allegations he hadn't paid income tax on payments received from businessman Ben Dunne.
However, he also presided over the first visit of a member of the British Royal Family - the now-King Charles - since 1912.
And following the death of Veronica Guerin in 1997 - his government established the Criminal Assets Bureau.
