NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Noel Browne

Dr. Noel Christopher Browne (20 December 1915-21 May 1997) was an Irish politician and doctor. He holds the distinction of being one of only five Teachtaí Dála (TDs) to be appointed Minister on their first day in the Dáil. His controversial Mother and Child Scheme in effect brought down the First Inter-Party Government of John A. Costello in 1951. December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII in Roman) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics to the extent of holding or running for public office. ... A Teachta DÃ¡la (Irish for DÃ¡il Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ... This is an incomplete list of public-representative office-holders, elected and appointed, past and present, in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ... Noel Browne (20 December 1915-21 May 1997) was an Irish politician and doctor. ... The 13th Dáil was elected on February 4, 1957 and first met on February 18 when the 5th Government of Ireland was appointed. ... John Aloysius Costello (20 June 1891 â€“ 5 January 1976), a successful barrister, was one of the main legal advisors to the government of the Irish Free State after independence, Attorney-General of Ireland from 1926-1932 and Taoiseach from 1948-1951 and 1954-1957. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ...

Browne was a controversial public representative and managed to be a TD for five different political parties (two of which he co-founded). These where Clann na Poblachta (expelled), Fianna Fáil (expelled), National Progressive Democrats (co-founder), Labour Party (expelled) and the Socialist Labour Party (co-founder). Clann na Poblachta (literally meaning Family of the Republic) was an Irish republican political party founded by former IRA Chief of Staff Sean MacBride in 1946. ... Fianna FÃ¡il - The Republican Party (IPA ; English translation: Soldiers of Ireland, but traditionally translated as Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in Ireland. ... The National Progressive Democrats was a small Left wing political party political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... The Labour Party (Irish: PÃ¡irtÃ an Lucht Oibre) is a social democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... The Socialist Labour Party was a political party in Ireland in the mid 1970s to early 1980s formed under the leadership of the late Matt Merrigan (General Secretary, A.T.G.W.U.) and Noel Browne (TD). ...

Early life and career

Noel Browne was born on 20 December 1915 in Waterford. His father was a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). Browne was educated in Athlone and Ballinrobe as his father travelled around the country. Both his parents died as a result of tuberculosis during the twenties. In 1929 he was admitted free of charge to a preparatory school in Eastbourne, England. He then won a scholarship to public school and befriended a Neville Chance, a wealthy boy from Dublin. His family paid Browne's way through medical school in Trinity College. December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) was one of Irelands two police forces in the early twentieth century, alongside the Dublin Metropolitan Police. ... Remains of the abbey at Athlone. ... Ballinrobe (Irish Baile an Róba) is a town in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. ... Tuberculosis (commonly shortened to TB) is an infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system (meningitis), lymphatic system, circulatory system (Miliary tuberculosis), genitourinary system, bones and joints. ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... For other places called Eastbourne, see Eastbourne (disambiguation). ... The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin or more commonly Trinity College, Dublin was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, and is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Irelands oldest university. ...

In 1940 Browne contracted tuberculosis himself, but was treated in an English sanatorium. He recovered and passed his medical exams in 1942. He worked in numerous sanatoria throughout Ireland and England, witnessing the ravages of the disease. He soon concluded that politics was the only way in which he could make an attack on the scourge of tuberculosis. Browne joined the new Irish republican party Clann na Poblachta and was elected to Dáil Éireann in 1948. To the surprise of many, party leader Sean MacBride picked Browne to be one of the party's two ministers in the Government. Browne became one of the few TDs appointed a minister on their first day in Dáil Éireann, when he was appointed Minister for Health. 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my [birth]right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area â€“ Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 kmÂ² Population â€“ Total (mid-2004) â€“ Total (2001 Census) â€“ Density Ranked... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Pronounced fee-na fall.) (English: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... Clann na Poblachta (literally meaning Family of the Republic) was an Irish republican political party founded by former IRA Chief of Staff Sean MacBride in 1946. ... The DÃ¡il Chamber DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... Seán MacBride (26 January 1904 – 15 January 1988) was a senior Irish politician, barrister, revolutionary & statesman. ...

Minister for Health

A White Paper report on health had been prepared by the previous government, and resulted in the Health Act, 1947. In February 1948 Browne became Minister for Health and started the reforms advocated by the paper and act. Noel Browne (20 December 1915-21 May 1997) was an Irish politician and doctor. ...

The health reforms, much of the work of which had been carried out by previous former Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Secretary (junior minister) for Health, Dr. Conor Ward, coincided with the development of new drugs that eliminated long hospital stays and the extent of disease. Browne introduced mass free screening for tuberculosis sufferers and sold department assets to finance his campaign, which helped dramatically reduce the incidence of tuberculosis in Ireland. Fianna FÃ¡il - The Republican Party (IPA ; English translation: Soldiers of Ireland, but traditionally translated as Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in Ireland. ... In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to appoint parliamentary secretaries (in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, parliamentary assistants) from their caucus to assist cabinet ministers with their work. ...

However during his term as Minister for Health, Browne would come in conflict with the Catholic Church and the medical profession in the radical Mother and Child Scheme. The ultimate result of this conflict on Browne was to remove him from main stream politics, he resigned with effect on April 11, 1951 as Minister for Health. Browne was expelled from Clann na Poblachta and was elected to the Dáil as an Independent TD in the subsequent election. Noel Browne (20 December 1915-21 May 1997) was an Irish politician and doctor. ... A Teachta DÃ¡la (Irish for DÃ¡il Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ...

Later political career

In 1953 Browne joined Fianna Fáil but lost his Dáil seat in the 1954 election. He was later expelled from Fianna Fáil. In 1957 he was re-elected as an Independent TD. In 1958 he founded the National Progressive Democrats with Jack McQuillan. Browne held on to his seat in the 1961 election but in1963 he and McQuillan joined the Labour Party, disbanding the National Progressive Democrats. However, Browne lost his seat in the 1965 election. He was re-elected as a Labour TD in 1969. He failed to be nominated by the Labour Party for the 1973 election but instead he won a seat in Seanad Éireann before being expelled from the Labour Party. He remained in the Seanad until 1977 when he gained a Dáil seat as an Independent TD, before setting up the Socialist Labour Party and becoming its only TD. Browne retired from politics in the February 1982 general election. 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1953 calendar). ... Fianna FÃ¡il - The Republican Party (IPA ; English translation: Soldiers of Ireland, but traditionally translated as Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in Ireland. ... DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fianna FÃ¡il - The Republican Party (IPA ; English translation: Soldiers of Ireland, but traditionally translated as Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in Ireland. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Progressive Democrats was a small Left wing political party political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Template:C20YearInnTopic 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Logo of the Irish Labour Party The Irish Labour Party (Irish: Páirti an Lucht Oibre) is the third largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1973 calendar). ... The Seanad Chamber The Seanad meets in the former picture gallery in Leinster House. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... The Socialist Labour Party was a political party in Ireland in the mid 1970s to early 1980s formed under the leadership of the late Matt Merrigan (General Secretary, A.T.G.W.U.) and Noel Browne (TD). ... The election for the 23rd Dáil took place on February 18, 1982. ...

Offer of presidential candidacy

In 1990 some left-wing member of the Labour Party approached Browne and suggested that he should be the party's candidate in the 1990 presidential election due later that year. Though in failing health Browne agreed. However the offer horrified party leader Dick Spring and his close associates for two reasons. Firstly the leadership had secretly decided to run former senator and barrister Mary Robinson. Secondly, many around Spring were "appalled" at the idea of running Browne, believing he had "little or no respect for the party" and "was likely in any event to self-destruct as a candidate."^[1] When Browne was informed by Spring by telephone that the Party's Administrative Council had chosen Robinson over him, he hung up on him. He spent the remaining seven years of his life constantly criticising Robinson, who had gone on to win the election and become the seventh President of Ireland. During the campaign he also indicated support for the rival Fine Gael candidate, Austin Currie.^[2] This article is about the year. ... In the Irish presidential election in 1990 the Irish Labour Party let it be known that it would for the first time run a candidate. ... Richard Spring (born August 29, 1950 in Tralee County Kerry), is a businessman and former senior Irish politician. ... Mary Robinson (Irish name MÃ¡ire Bhean Mhic RÃ³ibÃn; born 21 May 1944) was the first female President of Ireland, serving from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. ... The President of Ireland (Irish: UachtarÃ¡n na hÃ‰ireann) is the head of state of the Republic of Ireland. ... Austin Currie (born October 11, 1939) is a former Irish politician, being elected to the parliaments of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. ...

Personality

Few figures in 20th century Ireland were as controversial as Noel Browne. To his supporters he was a dynamic liberal who stood up to conservative and reactionary Catholicism. To his opponents he was an unstable, temperamental and difficult individual who was the author of most of his own misfortune. Browne further alienated the middle ground in 1986 with the publishing of his autobiography Against the Tide. Historians like Dr. Ruth Barrington, who had written extensively about Irish health policy and had access to the files from the 1940s and 1950s, questioned the book's reliability.^[3] (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

Popular opinion took offence at a series of what were seen as crude and unfair caricatures given of his opponents. One in particular, a description of the eating habits and desire for cakes of obese cabinet colleague and bitter opponent William Norton, backfired when it was revealed that the man's weight and desire for sweet foods was linked to his diabetes, a fact Browne as a medical doctor was well aware of but never mentioned in the book. The families of his colleagues, all of whom except Séan MacBride were dead, publicly attacked Browne's treatment of their relatives, as did the media. Phil Silvers TV Guide cover A caricature is a humorous illustration that exaggerates or distorts the basic essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. ... This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ...

Writing a decade later, one of the chief officials of the Labour Party, Fergus Finlay, said Browne had developed into a "bad tempered and curmudgeonly old man."^[4]

Historian and political scientist Maurice Manning wrote that Browne had the capacity to inspire fierce loyalty, but many of those who worked with and against him over the years found him difficult, self-centred, unwilling to accept the good faith of his opponents and often profoundly unfair in his intolerance of those who disagreed with him.^[5]

After retiring from Dáil Éireann Browne retired to Baile na hAbhann, County Galway with his wife Phyllis, where he died on May 21, 1997 at age 81. Baile na hAbhann (Ballinahown) is a townland between Inveran and Casla on the R336 about 30 kilometers west of Galway. ... County Galway (Contae na Gaillimhe in Irish) is located on the west coast of Ireland. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII in Roman) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Footnotes

Liam Cosgrave (Irish name Liam Mac Cosgair) (born April 13, 1920), served as the fifth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland between 1973 and 1977. ... Op cit (Latin, short for opus citatum, meaning the work cited. ) is the term used to provide an endnote or footnote citation to refer the reader to an earlier citation. ...

References

Categories: 1915 births | 1997 deaths | Irish politicians Dr. James Ryan (December 6, 1891 - September 25, 1970), was a senior Irish politician. ... The Minister for Health and Children is the senior minister at the Department of Health and Children (An Roinn SlÃ¡inte agus LeanaÃ) in the Irish Government and is responsible for health care in the Republic of Ireland and related services. ... John Aloysius Costello (20 June 1891 â€“ 5 January 1976), a successful barrister, was one of the main legal advisors to the government of the Irish Free State after independence, Attorney-General of Ireland from 1926-1932 and Taoiseach from 1948-1951 and 1954-1957. ... The National Progressive Democrats was a small Left wing political party political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... Logo of the Irish Labour Party The Irish Labour Party (Irish: Páirti an Lucht Oibre) is the third largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ...

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Early life and career GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");