The Gazette 1996

GAZETTE

JULY 1996

David R. Pigot - An Appreciation

David Pigot who died on 8 June last at the comparatively young age of 66 years has left behind him a legacy of which many people not to mention lawyers and sportsmen in particular, would had to have been immensely proud had they attained even a modicum of his achievements in such a relatively short life span. David must have had one of the most unique and impressive pedigrees of which any lawyer would have to be very proud. It is a reflection on David's characteristic modesty that nobody was aware of his ancestry. It transpires that not only was David's father, David Richard Pigot, an eminent lawyer in the solicitors' profession who practised in the family firm of Peebles, Knox & Pigot, where he was joined by David and which firm subsequently amalgamated with Arthur Cpx &Co., where David became a senior partner, but his grandfather John Henry Pigot was a barrister and subsequently a judge. David's great grandfather Lord David Richard Pigot was the Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer of Ireland who preceded the last Chief Baron of Ireland, C B Palles. It will thus be seen that David was a fifth generation lawyer and accordingly his son also David R. Pigot who followed in both | his father's and his grandfather's | footsteps into the legal profession now practices as a solicitor in the firm of B C MHanby Wallace and must thus probably hold the record in Irish legal > circles as a sixth generation lawyer as must also his daughter Janet Tarrant who is a solicitor in William Fry as well as his youngest daughter Vicky, who is also a solicitor in Miley & Miley in Dublin. Following his schooldays at Willow Park and subsequently at Blackrock College, David predictably read Legal Science | and graduated with degrees of BA j (Mod.) in Legal Science and LLB (First Class Honours) in 1950 and was J admitted as a solicitor in 1951. He | became a Dublin Solicitors Bar Association nominee to the Law

E Price. He realised this challenge and despite receiving a physical battering he was top scorer in the second innings and a career to last a further ten years had commenced, his proudest moment being a member of the Irish side that beat the West Indies at Sion Mills in 1969. For Phoenix whom re represented at senior level for an amazing six decades (1948- 1991) the highlight was a Senior Cup Final 100 against Merrion at 48 years of age. It gave him his 6th Senior Cup medal. He harboured hopes of the Law Society playing cricket on a regular basis home and away. He could not conceive of why the cricketers should not have the similar cosy arrangements as his golfing colleagues but despite his best efforts a home match against an Australian Lawyers XI was the summit of his organisational achievement. The legal and cricket tradition continues on with his son, David, who has followed in his father's and his grandfather's steps of captaining Phoenix. An indication of David's commitment to the cause he espoused was his willingness to take on the often thankless top jobs in those organisations. He was President of the Leinster Cricket Union, President of Phoenix CC, an Irish selector, President of Dublin University CC, as well of course as President of the Law Society. He did not take those roles because of honour. He felt strongly that these organisations needed to be run on a firm if sometimes an old- fashioned basis. He was worried that standards were slipping, that dedication was not all consuming. He was perplexed by the modern phenomenon of young sportsmen preparing for big games via Leeson Street. They, of course, will not make 50 against the Free Forresters at Henley just before their 66th birthday. They, too, hopefully will not be cut off virtually in their prime. 211

The late David Pigot

Society Council in 1969 and 1970 and was elected to the Law Society Council in 1971. He was President of the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association in 1975/76 and he became the first chairman of the Law Society's Litigation Committee in 1980. He was one of the Society's nominees on the Superior Court Rules Committee. David attained the ultimate pinnacle of his profession when he was elected President of the Law Society over which he presided with distinction in 1986/87. Apart from his prowess at cricket which is dealt with in extenso below, David was most definitely an all-round sportsman who played hockey with Three Rock Rovers and rugby with Trinity College Dublin RFC, Monkstown RFC and St. Mary's RFC. He was also capped for Leinster as a Junior Rugby Inter Provincial. Outside of law his main love was cricket where he brought the same level of dedication to the game as to the service of his clients. He did not receive his first Irish cap until he was 37 and that against Middlesex in Ormeau on a very difficult wicket. His adversary in international cricket was the then fastest bowler in England, J S

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