The psychiatrist as philosopher: an appreciation of Dr Séamus Mac Suibhne (Sweeney) (1978–2019) B. D. Kelly 1, * and K. O’Loughlin 2 1 Department of Psychiatry, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Tallaght University Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 NR0A, Ireland 2 Department of Psychiatry, Tallaght University Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 NR0A, Ireland Dr Séamus Mac Suibhne (Sweeney), consultant psychiatrist and writer, who died on 8 September 2019, was a unique, much admired figure in Irish psychiatry. His interests ranged from clinical care to philosophy, from medical education to history, from innovative tech- nology to the natural world. He was a dedicated family man as well as a doctor, scholar and writer who moved between academic fields with ease and erudition. As a clinician, he consistently placed compassion at the centre of care. Séamus’s work appeared in the Lancet, BMJ, British Journal of Psychiatry, International Journal of Social Psychiatry and Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, among other publications. He also wrote for the Guardian, Spectator, Scotsman and Times Literary Supplement. Séamus had a particular passion for better acknowledge- ment and treatment of mental illness among psychiatrists, and his compelling advocacy on this theme is one of his lasting legacies. Received 24 September 2019; Revised 25 September 2019; Accepted 30 September 2019 Key words: Ireland, medical education, philosophy, psychiatry. Dr Séamus Mac Suibhne (Sweeney), consultant psychiatrist and writer, who died on 8 September 2019, was a unique, much admired figure in Irish psychiatry. His interests ranged from clinical care to philosophy, from medical education to history, from innovative technology to the natural world. He was a dedicated family man as well as a doctor, scholar and writer who moved between academic fields with enormous ease and erudition. As a clinician, he placed compassion at the centre of care. He is deeply missed. Séamus was born in 1978 and grew up in Dublin. He attended Blackrock College where he completed his Leaving Certificate in 1996. He graduated as a doctor, MB BCh BAO (honours), from University College Dublin (UCD) in June 2002. In his undergraduate years, Séamus completed two medical electives in Western Australia, at Fremantle Hospital Emergency Department and Dalwallinu District Hospital (2001). Séamus took an active role in UCD undergraduate life, acting as a committee member and auditor of UCD Philosophy Society and serving on the editorial board of the University Observer. In 1998, Séamus was a member of the victorious UCD team on Challenging Times, a presti- gious television quiz show. In 2001, he won the under- graduate section of the Sheppard Memorial Prize, awarded by the Irish College of General Practitioners. In 2002, the year he graduated, Séamus received a richly merited Special Award on the Faculty of Medicine’s Dean’s List and the UCD President’s Award for Excellence in Extra-Curricular Activities. Séamus’s education continued long after he left UCD. In 2003, he completed a Certificate in Humanities with the Open University and, in 2009, a Certificate in Neuropharmacology with the Inter- national College of Neuropsychopharmacology. He attained membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2006, winning the Standish-Barry Prize (for the highest marks by an Irish trainee). In 2009, he completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Education with the University of Dundee. Séamus held two master’s degrees. The first was an MA in the Philosophy and Ethics of Mental Health, awarded by the University of Warwick in November 2010. His dissertation was titled: We should not teach philosophy of psychiatry to medical students, but we should integrate philosophy into the teaching of psychiatry to medi- cal students. Séamus also retained an active interest in medical education throughout his career. He was the pioneer of an innovative blended learning approach to the teaching of psychiatry to medical students during *Address for correspondence: B. Kelly, Department of Psychiatry, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Tallaght University Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 NR0A, Ireland. (Email: brendan.kelly@tcd.ie) Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, page 1 of 5. © College of Psychiatrists of Ireland 2019 EDITORIAL doi:10.1017/ipm.2019.50