Former tánaiste John Wilson, who has died aged 84, was a "loyal friend, a wise colleague and a man who used his abundant ability in the service of his country", according to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
Leading the tributes to the former Cavan-Monaghan TD, who served in seven Cabinet posts, Mr Ahern described him as "a sportsman, a scholar and a politician who served Cavan and Ireland through decades of endeavour in many fields".
He added: "A fine orator and a classics scholar, he was a popular deputy across the House who contributed with knowledge, wit and courtesy across a broad range of issues."
Minister for Health Mary Harney said she had developed "a sustained respect" for him after first meeting him while she was a student at Trinity College. He was "a very bright and well read man" who was very popular.
A former teacher and university lecturer, John Wilson won two All-Ireland football medals with his native Cavan.
Minister of State Brendan Smith, political adviser to Mr Wilson for 15 years, before succeeding him as TD for Cavan-Monaghan in 1992, said he was "a great ambassador for Ireland in all of the departments he served as minister".
Mr Smith said the former tánaiste had a particular love for the Irish language and used every opportunity to converse in Irish. Describing him as passionately concerned about Northern Ireland, he added: "He was a republican in the very best and true meaning of the word."
In all his speeches, Mr Wilson referred to the need for equality for the nationalist community and for a political resolution in the North, said Mr Smith.
Mr Wilson had led the first Irish government delegation into multiparty talks on the North in 1992. He became the first victims commissioner and a member of the commission for the location of victims' remains.
Former ceann comhairle Dr Rory O'Hanlon described Mr Wilson as "physically a very big man with a very big heart. He was very generous and a man of outstanding ability". They had served in Cabinet together and became constituency colleagues when Cavan-Monaghan became a single constituency in 1977.
Dr O'Hanlon said Mr Wilson had made a great contribution nationally and at constituency level. "He was a great colleague. John was always a good man to talk to for a bit of advice."
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny recalled Mr Wilson's "verbal jousts when minister for education, often in Latin or Greek, on the floor of the Dáil chamber with his Opposition spokesman on education, Richard Bourke".
Describing him as a no-nonsense football player, he said: "John also brought that no-nonsense approach to representing the interests of his constituents in Leinster House or fighting his corner of behalf of Fianna Fáil."
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said Mr Wilson was "deeply committed to the Fianna Fáil party but he always dealt with his political opponents in a civil and courteous manner".
