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Noel Browne was born on 20 December 1915 in Waterford. He 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.

In 1940 Browne contracted tuberculosis himself, but was treated in an English sanatorium. He recovered and passed his medical exams in 1942Events January January 1 World War II: The word " United Nations" is first officially used to describe the Allied pact. January 2 World War II: Manila is captured by Japanese forces. January 5 Amy Johnson disappears in flight over River Thames estuary ass. He worked in numerous sanatoria throughout IrelandThe island of Ireland ire in Irish, Airlann in Ulster Scots) is the third-largest island in Europe. It lies on the west side of the Irish Sea, close to the island of Great Britain. It is composed of the Republic of Ireland in the south and Northern Irelan 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 Clann na PoblachtaClann na Poblachta was an Irish republican political party founded by former IRA Chief of Staff Sean MacBride in ( 1946). In 1946 Sean MacBride founded a new political party Clann na Poblachta. The party appealed to disillusioned young urban voters, and r and was elected to Dáil ÉireannDail Eireann is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland 1. Its powers are similar to those of lower houses under many other parliamentary systems. It meets, since 1922, in Leinster House in Dublin. Composition The current in 19481948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 1 Nationalisation of UK railways to form British Railways. Arab militants lay siege to the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. First day of the Ital. He was appointed Minister for Health on his first day in the first inter-party government.

A White Paper report on health had been prepared by the previous government in 1946Events January January 4 Theodore Schurch becomes the last person to be executed for offences committed under the Treachery Act of 1940 January 7 Allied recognize Austrian republic with 1937 borders the country is divided into four occupation zones Januar. Browne now set about implementing the changes it advocated. His health campaign coincided with the development of new drugs that eliminated long hospital stays and the extent of disease. He 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.

In 1950 Browne proposed introducing a scheme which would provide free maternity care for all mothers and free medical care for all children up to the age of sixteen, regardless of income. The Mother and Child Scheme as it became known met with ferocious opposition from the Catholic hierarchy and the Irish doctors. The Catholic Church opposed the scheme because they believed that it was the right of every parent to provide health care for their child. They also feared that it could pave the way for abortion and birth control. Doctors disapproved of the scheme because they feared a loss of income. Browne refused to back down on the issue but received little support even from his Cabinet colleagues. In April 1951 Sean MacBride of Clann na Poblachta was forced to dismiss Browne from the government. The following month an election was called and Browne was elected to the Dáil as an Independent TD.

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 Democratic Party with Jack McQuillan . Browne held on to his seat in the 1961 election. In 1963 he joined the Labour Party, however, he 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. He remained there until 1977 when he gained a Dáil seat as an Independent TD. Browne retired from politics in 1982.

Throughout his life Browne remained a radical and an outspoken critic of Catholic conservatism. In his medical career he qualified as a psychiatrist and worked with the Eastern Health Board in Ireland. In 1986 he published his appropriately titled autobiography, Against the Tide. He retired to Baile na hAbhann, County Galway with his wife Phylis.

Noel Browne died on 21 May 1997.