Irish ex-PM Bruton, key figure in Northern Ireland peace deal, dies at 76

FILE PHOTO: Former Irish Prime Minister John Bruton (L) chats with Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair during a meeting inside 10 Downing Street in London February 18, 1998. Bruton was meeting Blair for discussions on the Northern Ireland peace talks. REUTERS/Ian Waldie/File Photo

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Former Irish Prime Minister John Bruton, who helped lay the foundations for Northern Ireland's 1998 peace deal and later served as the European Union's ambassador to Washington, died on Tuesday following a long illness, his family said.

Bruton, 76, served as prime minister as the head of the centre-right Fine Gael party from 1994 to 1997, and played an important role in negotiations with Britain and political groups in Northern Ireland. The work helped lead to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, signed by his successor Bertie Ahern.