Tony Clare

Tony Clare was one of the best debaters to come from UCD. Ever. Effortlessly fluent, witty, persuasive, commanding. He and his close friend of the 1960's, the late Patrick Cosgrave (who later served as an adviser to Margaret Thatcher) dominated university debating here and in the UK during their era. Tony Clare seemed destined for politics early on because of his rhetorical skills and the joy he took in performance. But he was serious about medicine and then about his chosen specialty, psychiatry. He was a brilliant director of Swift's St Patrick's hospital, much as a predecessor, Norman Moore had been.

Perhaps he was lessened by the diversity of his talents. Had he been single-focused either as a psychiatrist, broadcaster or politician (which he long hankered to be) he might have made a more lasting impression. Although politically he was uncertain where he stood.  

Clare was born on 14 December 1942 and died suddenly on 28 October 2007 at the age of 64.