US:Former taoiseach and EU ambassador to the US John Bruton yesterday expressed his sadness at the passing of Gerald Ford, whom he described as "a healing force in US history."
"I had the unusual privilege of meeting President Ford when he was still minority leader in the House of Representatives and when he probably had little or no expectation of ever being called upon to be president of his country," Mr Bruton said.
"He struck me then as a remarkably courteous and unaffected person, confident and comfortable in his work. He represented the very best qualities of American public service, as his subsequent career was to show," he said.