It was the 1989 General Election and John Wilson was being interviewed on RTE at the Cavan/Monaghan count. The reporter told the Fianna Fail TD that computers were predicting the party would fall well short of a majority. His response? "Well you know what they say about computers.

Merde in, merde out!" Holding a seat from 1973 to 1993, he was too tough and too quick to be thrown off by such predictions.

During that time he was minister at the departments of Education, Posts & Telegraphs, Tourism & Transport and, later, he was Tanaiste under Albert Reynolds.

For Wilson, it all began way back in the '40s with the Cavan footballers. A right half-back, he broke into the team that lost the 1945 All Ireland final, but they made amends two years later by winning at the Polo Grounds. He picked up another Ulster medal the following year, however, a damaged shoulder brought an end to his inter-county career at the age of 25.

It wasn't the end of his influence on Gaelic football though. Having attended one of the great GAA nurseries of St Mel's Longford, he would teach at several others, including St Kieran's, Kilkenny and St Eunan's, Letterkenny. During his time in Donegal he took the county's minors to a first ever Ulster title. The fact his political career matched his footballing exploits was therefore testament to his life as a TD. He passed away a day after his 84th birthday.