Prof William Francis O'Dwyer, MD, FRCPI, who died recently in his 83rd year, was born in Warrenpoint. His father John, a Limerick man, was there then as a custom officer; he retired as Assistant Secretary in the Department of Finance. W.F. (Billy) was educated at Belvedere and Clongowes. At school he was a tennis player of quality, a fine cricketer and a very game rugby full-back.
He qualified in medicine with honours from UCD in 1940 and soon afterwards joined the Army Medical Service. Here he commenced his career as a physician, acquiring the MD degree in 1945.
After the war he was appointed as a general physician to the Charitable Infirmary (Jervis Street Hospital). Then one day, 10 years later, as Prof Doyle tells the story, Arthur Barry, the distinguished obstetrician-gynaecologist, who was a consultant gynaecologist in the hospital, walked into Doyle's pathology laboratory. By chance there was a journal opened showing a picture of Kilff's renal dialysis apparatus (artificial kidney). Barry was all too aware of the tragic prognosis of acute renal failure occurring in pregnancy. "How can we get one of these?" he enquired. "Write a cheque," was the reply. Billy, hearing of the encounter immediately volunteered to join a team. The purchase money was subscribed solely by the members of the hospital's consultant staff. The renal unit was born.
There were only two such units in Britain at this time and the Jervis Street team, on their own initiative, visited the Leeds unit to obtain knowledge and experience. Official support was not available. Billy O'Dwyer, as physician, was soon the team leader; other central figures were the late Anthony Walsh, the late Joe Woodcock, Prof Doyle and later Michael Carmody and John Hanson. The nursing staff were enthusiastic and soon became expert, with Brigid Hogan a key figure.
Methods for the treatment of chronic renal failure and later renal transplant were developed. The unit became widely known in Ireland and abroad. Billy O'Dwyer contributed to over 40 publications on renal topics and he was invited to join the staff of the Coombe Women's Hospital and the Richmond Hospital. The unit still flourishes as the national renal transplant unit in Beaumont Hospital.
Prof O'Dwyer's work as a nephrologist was his major contribution but his efforts were not confined to his speciality. He was active in the Irish Medical Association and was its president in 1963. His diplomacy and his ability to see another's point of view enabled him to effect an honourable compromise in a long and bitter dispute between the association and the Minister for Health, Mr Sean McEntee. This led to a prolonged period of fruitful co-operation between the Department and the profession.
Billy O'Dwyer was appointed president of An Bord Altranais from 1964 to 1978 and guided this board through years of significant, the National Health Council, the Dublin Regional Hospital Board and the consultative council that drew up the Fitzgerald Report.
Having been a lecturer and associate professor in RCSI from 1961, he was appointed whole-time Professor of Medicine in 1975. This was a post he relished as he devoted much of his time to students and young doctors. Unusually, he had been elected by students as president of the medical societies in two medical schools, UCD (1956) and RSCI (1963). Billy was a thoughtful and stylish writer; his Doolin and Meenal lectures are models. The Doolin Lecture given in 1970 on the structure of medical staffing in Irish hospitals is today as topical and controversial as when it was written. His analysis may well be vindicated in the next century.
This was a glittering medical career, yet it gives little savour of the man impelling the physician. He was warm-hearted, convivial, wise and above all modest. He never had a bitter word and found excuses for those others thought difficult.
During his retirement he suffered much from illness. He was disabled by a stroke and saddened by the deaths of both his sisters, yet he never lost his good humour and always welcomed his many friends.
He married Dr Mary Frances (Fanty) Fitzgerald in 1943. She survives him with their son and daughter and six grandchildren.
We offer them our sympathy.
H.E.C.