Ambassador of the European Union John Bruton to present Stack Lecture at Fairfield University | Press Releases

John Bruton, the Ambassador of the European Union to the United States and former Irish prime minister, will deliver the annual William and Mary Stack Lecture in Irish History and Culture at Fairfield University on Tuesday, March 21, at 8 p.m. The lecture will take place in the Kelley Theatre of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.

Bruton was the ninth Taoiseach (prime minister) of the Republic of Ireland and has been a senior Irish politician since the 1980s. He served as Minister for Finance, Minister for Industry & Energy, and Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism in the cabinet of Garret FitzGerald. He later became the leader of Fine Gael in 1990 and served as Taoiseach from 1994 until 1997, leading the Rainbow Coalition government of Fine Gael-Labour-Democratic Left.

Bruton was first elected to Dáil Éireann for County Meath in 1969 and served continuously until his retirement from domestic politics in 2004. In addition to his position as ambassador, Bruton is the vice president of the European People's Party.

Bruton has been the ambassador since 2004. A passionate supporter of European integration, he was appointed by current Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to be one of Ireland's delegates drafting the proposed constitution for the European Union. As a former prime minister and a native English speaker, his appointment to ambassador was seen as a strategic move to continue and improve transatlantic relations.

Bruton is also an adjunct faculty member in the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University.

The lecture is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. To reserve seats, call the Quick Center box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information, visit www.quickcenter.com.