Clair was one of those personalities whose influence left an indelible impact on all those with whom he came in contact. He would have laughed in that inimitable, infectious way of his at the ironic fact that he left us on Father's
Day, June 15th, and that his removal to St Philomena's Church in Palmerstown took place on Bloomsday. Clair was a quintessential Dubliner, a family man, who loved Dublin and all that it signified with a passion that was probably unmatched among his peers.
Born in 1923, just after the foundation of the State, Clair was raised in the
Liffey Valley near the Strawberry Beds, at a time when Palmerstown was a village remote from the hurly-burly of the city of Dublin. It was there that he inherited his lifelong love of the River Liffey. Clair had an enviable and unsurpassed knowledge of Dublin and its environs, particularly the waterways.
His well researched Rivers of Dublin, published by Dublin Corporation in 1991, a richly illustrated and comprehensive guide to the rivers of Dublin, has become a collector's item. As a very readable historical and accurate description of the capital's waterways it has not been surpassed and is in itself a fitting memorial to his memory.
The obvious pleasure that the project gave Clair in its preparation over a number of years was a joy to behold. He had literally walked many of the accessible miles of those rivers, and also some not so accessible. He revelled in the tales of splashing along through Dublin's claustrophobic underground channels and tunnels. His position in the corporation's engineering department gave him ready access to places that the majority of our citizens hardly know exist.
Clair was enthusiastic about the planning and refurbishment of the Temple Bar area from the outset. His researches of ancient Dublin maps and other archives were of invaluable assistance to those involved. He was very proud of the fact that, around 1976, he was associated with identifying the site of the long-lost
St Winifred's Well, near the junction of Eustace and Essex streets, which had existed since the Middle Ages. Pedestrians will be familiar with the restored well on the side of the cobbled street, though, unfortunately, a plaque marking the spot has now disappeared. Perhaps the authorities could now consider restoring the plaque with an appropriate recognition of Clair's role.
In Dublin's Millennium Year, 1988, Clair was presented with the prestigious
Lord Mayor's Award by Lord Mayor Carmencita Hederman in recognition of his outstanding achievements on behalf of the city.
In his later years Clair, a meticulous draughtsman, developed a real talent for oil painting and produced a series of magnificent landscapes, which will be treasured by all those lucky enough to own one. I can still see him on Stephen's
Green displaying his works on the railings of the Green at the annual People's
Art exhibitions.
When Clair retired from Dublin Corporation in 1990 his family and friends expected that he would take things easy and wind down to some degree, but that was not in his nature. He was a pillar of the Church in Palmerstown and, as the officiating priest said at his funeral, he had an abiding interest in the life of the parish. He was deeply committed to parish work and recognised the important role of the laity long before it was fashionable to do so.
While some parishioners may have been thrown off balance by the fundamental changes wrought by the Vatican II Council, Clair adapted to the new concepts from the outset with enthusiasm and genuine commitment. His artistic talents were brought to bear on restoration work on the Stations of the Cross and the statuary in and around St Philomena's and he had a pivotal role in the construction of the attractive grotto in the church grounds. We were also reminded that it was at Clair's suggestion that the words "Pray for Peace" were included on the grotto.
Clair, though an apolitical person at all times, was passionately concerned with the situation in Northern Ireland, which he had often visited over the years. I still have a lasting recollection of him assembling with his family at
Parnell Square for the tremendous march for peace which took place in Dublin a few years ago.
He will be missed, not only by his wife, Eileen, and his family, but by all who had the privilege to know him. May he rest in peace.
In his poem, Non Dolet, Oliver St John Gogarty penned the words:
Our friends go with us as we go
Down the long path where beauty wends,
Where all we love foregathers, so
Why should we fear to join our friends?