Philip Leo Chambers, who died in Bologna, on August 30th, aged 67, sought to create an awareness of the danger of the overuse of chemicals, and was responsible for the building-up of one of the most valuable wine collections in the State. Born on December 17th, 1931, he went to secondary school at De la Salle College in Sheffield before joining a seminary to study for the priesthood, at Ushaw College, Durham. After six years he decided against continuing his religious studies, and turned instead to science at the University of Sheffield, taking an honours degree in Physiology (BSc) in 1957.
He began his career in science as an assistant lecturer in Bedford College before being appointed research physiologist with Shell (UK) at Tunstall Laboratory in Kent. It was through his research for Shell that he came to Ireland.
He returned to academia when he joined TCD in 1965 as lecturer in pharmacology. He was appointed to the post of senior lecturer in toxicology in 1971. He was acting head of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics between 1979 and 1983, where he ran the masters programme in toxicology. In 1996 his contribution to pharmacology and toxicology was acknowledged by his election to Fellowship of Trinity College, Dublin.
He carried out a great deal of work for the Government in the area of the regulation of the pharmacology industry.
He recognised, at an early stage, the damaging effects of the excessive use of toxicants to the environment through his research into ways of controlling the "menace" of the grey squirrel, and into the depletion of the Peregrine falcon in Ireland. He was one of Europe's leading toxicologists and was appointed by the European Commission, in 1997, first vice-president and co-chairman of the scientific advisory committee on toxicity, ecotoxicity, and the environment (CSTEE).
He was a connoisseur of fine wines, sharing his knowledge and enjoyment with his colleagues after his appointment as post of college cellarer in the early 1970s.
The college cellar serves the wine needs of the Common Room and all college functions. When he took over the position of cellarer he found the vaults were filled with a narrow range of wines, clarets and ports.
He visited the vineyards of Europe to taste and buy wine, madeira and port, building up one of the best wine cellars in Ireland. His knowledge, and friendships with the wine growers allowed him to purchase wine for TCD en primeur. He travelled to the vineyards to sample the "un-ripened" wine and to "guess" which would be good when ready to drink. He could then purchase it at greatly reduced prices for the college.
Wine merchants came to him in the hope that the college would sell some of these priceless wines. He always declined their offers.
His knowledge of wine was so well-regarded within the industry that he was responsible for assemblage - "choosing" the grapes - for some of the better known chateaux. French chateaux also honoured him by making him a Compagnon de Bordeaux and a Compagnon de Beaujolais.
He is survived by his wife, Claire, and their four children, Benedict, Kathrin, Rachel and Veronica.
Philip Chambers: born 1931; died August, 1999