Noël Christopher Browne (1915–1997)

Dr. Noel Browne (1915-1997) was an Irish doctor and politician. His tragic upbringing, in which several of his siblings and both his parents died from tuberculosis, which he himself contracted, compelled him to stand as a candidate for the newly formed Clann na Poblachta party in 1948. He was successful and became Minister for Health on his first day in the Dáil. His actions taken dramatically reduced the incidence of tuberculosis in Ireland. However, his attempts to reform other areas of health policy would bring him into conflict with his coalition colleagues, the doctors and the Catholic Church and see the coalition collapse. He would subsequently sit in the Dáil for diverse parties including Fianna Fáil, the National Progressive Democrats, the Irish Labour Party and the Socialist Labour Party but never held office again.