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Claire Byrne - our newest patron
04 April 2005
Our newest patron, Claire Byrne, is one of the best-known names in broadcasting in the Republic of Ireland.
A native of Co. Laois, Claire completed her journalism studies in Dublin, before embarking on a long and varied career working for major broadcasters in the UK and Ireland.
After four years of print and radio journalism, Claire made the move into TV, working initially for TV3 in Ireland, before moving to Channel 5 and the ITN news channel in the UK.
Claire returned to TV3 in 2001, becoming part of the team working on Ireland's most successful breakfast show, Ireland AM.
Now part of the TV3 news team, Claire was voted TV Personality of the Year by the public at last year's Irish Film and Television Awards.
Claire's relationship with the Foundation stretches back a number of years, and is based on her personal experience of the diseases, having had meningitis when she was a teenager.
As well as helping to launch the latest awareness campaign in the Republic of Ireland, Claire has previously helped the Foundation on a number of occasions, including recording a thirty second message about meningitis and septicaemia, broadcast on many Irish radio stations.