Niall Tóibín Niall Tóibín, who has died aged 44, was a leading member of Ireland's development NGO community. His work took him to Africa, Asia and Latin America, and he had first-hand experience of war and famine. He served for many years on the Irish Aid Advisory Committee. In addition, he distinguished himself at a very young age as a top-class international bridge player.
Justin Kilcullen, the director of Trócaire, described him as "a visionary leader with a sharp strategic analysis of development issues, a keen understanding of the prevailing geopolitical landscape, a deep compassion for the plight of the poor and oppressed and a passion for social justice, particularly in his beloved Africa, where he lived for nearly 10 years".
His fellow development workers knew him as someone who made a difference in countries in crisis, among communities enduring hunger and to individuals surviving oppression. He was an immensely creative mobiliser of financial resources, who delighted in unlocking new streams of funding for development projects.
He was born on June 24th, 1959, in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, the youngest of the five children of Mícheál and Bríd Tóibín. He was educated by the Christian Brothers and at the FCJ Convent, Bunclody, and later studied Latin and Irish at University College Dublin, graduating in 1981.
In 1983 he travelled to Sudan under the auspices of the Agency for Personal Service Overseas. He loved Africa from the moment he set foot in it. Setting up home across the Nile from Khartoum in the city of Omdurman, he was the only non-Sudanese for miles. He taught English and learned to speak fluent Arabic.
By 1987 he was co-ordinator of the APSO teacher and teacher-trainer programme. In 1988 he was appointed field officer and in 1989 moved to Kenya as field officer in APSO's regional office based in Nairobi, a post he held for three years.
Joining Trócaire in 1992, he was almost immediately involved in the organisation's emergency response to the famine in Somalia. He participated in the relief and rehabilitation programme for Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. He was appointed head of Trócaire's international department in 2002.
According to his brother, the writer Colm Tóibín, Niall's work for Trócaire was a culmination of his aims and ideas about development. "It was not merely Trócaire's compassionate commitment which mattered to him, but its intelligent and strategic involvement in the places where it could do most good."
While he found fulfilment in his work, the constant threat of famine and the danger of armed conflict cast a long shadow. Some of his closest Sudanese friends were killed in the war. He often found himself in danger,but disregarded threats to his personal safety.
His interest in bridge began in his early teens when he took lessons from his sisters. He quickly surpassed his teachers and began an impressive competitive career. His strength as a player lay in his temperament, flexibility and exceptional memory. In 1980, when only 21, he represented Ireland in senior competition for the first time, in the World Bridge Olympiad in Holland. The following year he achieved success in the Common Market Championships, winning the senior pairs and being part of the winning junior team.
By his mid-20s, he had won all the major national titles and represented Ireland many times. With Pat Walshe he formed what was perhaps Ireland's greatest ever partnership. He was due to captain the Irish team - at the team's request - in the World Bridge Olympiad in Turkey next October.
Bridge was only one of a wide range of interests. He was widely read and a regular theatregoer. A classical music enthusiast, he had lately become a fan of the White Stripes. He enjoyed the cinema and made no secret of his fascination with TV soaps, not least Fair City.
Professional tennis was the sport that most interested him, and he was thrilled to get tickets for Wimbledon last year. He was a keen gardener.
His many friends remember him for his kindness, sense of fun and great courage. He suffered from a serious illness that required much time-consuming care and, in recent years, long spells in hospital. To fellow sufferers of kidney disease he was an inspiration, tactful, sympathetic and a true friend in hard times. Living for the moment, he continued to work and pursue his interests, where necessary, from a hospital bed.
Less than a month ago he wrote to The Irish Times about crimes against humanity in Sudan: "Our response to these war crimes is a test of all we said about not letting Rwanda's tragedy happen again."
His brothers, Brendan and Colm, and sisters, Nuala and Bairbre, survive him.
Niall Tóibín: born June 24th, 1959; died May 9th, 2004