The Gazette 1976

J U NE/J U LY

GAZETTE

1976

morally coerce him into admissions; then, if the de- ponent still remained intransigent, every word and sen- tence sworn to would be subjected to probing, dissec- tion, and analysis, for the purpose of showing that there were contradictions and improbabilities in the testi- mony. Few partisan witnesses emerged from such a steely scrutiny of their evidence without some part of the : r veracity, or at least, their accuracy and reliability having been discredited. Any attempt by a witness at hyperbole, or humbug, or to be smart at Mr. Costello's expense would be crushed by a few sledge hammer questions, or dismissed by some stinging and contemp- tuous comments. So important is leadership in every field of endeavour that numerous books have been published on the sub- ject. All of these books point out that high ethical standards, humanitarianism, good judgment and power to make and execute decisions are the salient qualities required for successful captaincy. It is virtually certain that John A. Costello never had enough leisure to read books on leadership. But his own kindly character con- tained a combmation of the essential attributes which enabled him instinctively to win the esteem of his associates; in consequence he exercised leadership of a very high order. Proof of this is to be seen in the fact that he remained on terms of close friendship with many Solicitors and Deputies of Dail Eireann for over 30 years; and that he was asked to head two coalition governments. Notwithstanding that these coalition governments under his aegis were defeated in general elections twice, his reputation as a legal and political chief suffered little diminution if anything it was en- hanced by the great powers of management of men he displayed while in office; furthermore, experienced politicians and solicitors know well that a leader is not a magician able to conjure governmental obstacles out of the way at will. To sav that he was a wit would not be entirely correct. Nevertheless he was good humoured in disposi- tion; and frequently amusing remarks would come bubblingly up in the course of his conversation. Like most busy intelligent men his jokes, sallies, and quips were prompted by the incongruous happenings in every- day life, and the foibles of ebullient personalities. Also, he was very adept at contrived verbal jokes and lively oblique remarks, which while never wounding or mali- cious, could hit off the funny side of characters and events very entertainingly. In Dail Eireann he used witticisms to give point and interest to his speeches, and to relieve the ennui of long monotonous debates. His general manner had the great advantage of making working with him easy, both in law and politics, which led to the quick dispatch of business. Making all due allowances for the fact that he belonged to the senior branch of the profession there are still many lessons which solicitors can learn from the life of this great worker in the legal vinyard, and it is not necessary to specify them, since they are so clearly- self evident. LATE J. A. COSTELLO, S.C. Mr. John Aloysius Costello, Senior Counsel, died at his home in Dublin on 7th January, 1976, aged 84 years. Mr. Costello had been a Deputy in Dail Eireann for more than 30 years since 1924, and had been Attorney- Ceneral from 1926 to 1931. By agreement with the other parties composing the Inter-Party Government, Mr. Costello was appointed Taoiseach first from 1948 to 1951 and from 1954 to 1957. Mr. Costello was called

to the Bar in 1912, became a Senior Counsel in 1925, and became a Bencher of the King's Inns in 1926. He had been Father of the Bar for several years, and continued to practise until the summer of 1975. On Monday, 12th January, 1976, the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Court, as well as barristers, solicitors and Court officials, assembled in the Supreme Court to pay tribute to the late Mr. Costello, and to extend sympathy to his son, the Attorney General, Mr. Declan Costello, S.C. The Chief Justice spoke on behalf of the Judiciary and Mr. Frank Murphy, S.C., Chairman of the Bar Council, made a panegyric on behalf of the Bar. Then, the President of the Society, Mr. P. C. Moore, said : On behalf of the Solicitors' Profession I join with you Chief Justice and Mr. Frank Murphy in paying tribute to a great Irishman and a distinguished Lawyer who has passed from our midst. No words of mine are adequate to extol the virtues and attributes of this noble man, John A. Costello, S.C. He was beloved and esteemed by all his colleagues in the Judiciary, at the Bar and by Solicitors throughout the land. Those of us who had the privilege to listen to his eloquent and ded'cated advocacy in the cause of our Clients, will remember him with a particular affection. His adver- saries will also attribute to him his great integrity and his passion for what was fair and just in the pursuit and ascertainment of the truth. John Costello was and is an inspiration to us all. He believed in the Rule of Law and the upholding of uur Institutions, particularly those concerned with the ad- ministration of Justice. He was a great Statesman a:, well as an outstanding Lawyer and Advocate and he never faltered in the pursuit of peace through justice for the achievement of happiness, understanding and loyalty amongst all the people of this Island. God grant that his great heart and great mind will not have laboured in vain. COMPANIES IN NEED OF HELP Economic recession is only one of the factors putting pressure on company resources these days. Many Irish firms need help, especially in areas of management expertise. They need advice and stimulus from outside to help them grow and develop and this is particularly true of smaller firms. The state-assisted Irish Productivity Centre offers specialist advice to firms employing up to 200 Its i Business Advisory Service is staffed by a team of con- ! sultants experienced in the needs of smaller firms and i provides facilities ranging from rapid evaluations to j more extensive in-depth assignments. I One of the features of small business consultancy is the difficulty of convincing some prospective clients that they need help at all and before it is perhaps too I late. Many enquiries to the IPC come through bank i managers, auditors, company solicitors, etc. Members of the legal profession with corporate clients i | in need of help are invited to contact us for further ' I information. Write to : j | Head of Business Advisory Service, Irish Productivity Centre, IPC House, 3 5 / 39 Shelbourne Road, Dublin, 4. or Telephone 686244.

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