The Gazette 1996

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GAZETTE JUNE 1996
OBITUARIES
Maxie (Mar t in M.)
Hal ley
A f ew months short of his 87th
birthday, Maxie passed on Easter
Mo n d ay last.
A very w e l l - k n own Solicitor, farmer
and horse breeder, he lived all his life
just outside Waterford City. He was a
practising Solicitor for c l o se on 6 0
years, having started and built up a
very s u c c e s s f ul practice - rating with
the best in the South East. As a
practitioner he was e s p e c i a l ly
s u c c e s s f ul in the courts wh e re his
skills were well r e c o g n i s ed by his
c o l l e a g u es and his many clients alike.
Apart from his Solicitor's practice,
Maxie was a great outdoor man. A
substantial farmer w h o indulged (also
with much s u c c e s s) in horse breeding
and although he didn't reach the
heights of an Arkle or Red Rum he
had s ome well k n own animals.
Garnishee and Carrickbeg are t wo that
c o me to mind that performed well
across the water and f o und their way
into the Winners Enclosures in many
g o o d Ra c es at Ch e l t e nh am and similar
tracks. Apart from his long time
breeding - his l o ve of the horse was
legendary and apart from his many
Ra ce Me e t i n g s, his l o ve of riding to
the Ho u n ds was well k n own. He
didn't suffer the protesters too we l l!
In addition to being a memb er of the
National Hunt Comm i t t e e, he was
l o n g t ime Steward at local tracks,
Tramore, C l o nmel and Gowr an Park.
Ad d ed to all this, Maxie was a man of
very high principle, r e c o g n i s ed by all
his legal and racing c o l l e a g u e s.
Privately, a religious man, he never
cultivated the 'holier than thou' look
or mannerism.
A b o v e all, throughout his long life he
e n j o y ed e x c e l l e nt health up to his
final illness wh i ch happily w a s of
relatively brief duration. He and his
160
w i fe Imelda reared a fine family of six
sons and one daughter, Evelyn and
t wo sons, Gerry and Emmet carry on
the Solicitor's practice, as
s u c c e s s f u l ly as their father ever did!
He is also survived by one sister Mary
(O'Byrne) w h o has resided in Cork
City for a number of years.
A very s u c c e s s f ul man in all of his
many interests - I think, Ame r i c an
Grantland Rice s ums it all up so aptly
and succinctly, in his well k n own
couplet -
'And wh en that One Great Scorer
c o m e s to mark against your name,
He writes not that you won or lost -
But h ow y ou p l a y ed the Game .'
MK.
Ma t t hew M. Purcell
The death occurred recently of
Matthew M. Purcell, Ard Mor, Naas.
Born in 1 9 02 at The C ommo n s,
Ballingarry, Co. Tipperary, Mr.
Purcell was the third son of the late
Daniel J. Purcell and Margaret
Purcell (nee Heaphy).
A solicitor by profession he practised
privately in Naas before b e c om i ng
Ireland's first Co un ty Solicitor wh en
he took up an appointment with Cork
1 Co un ty Council. In 1 9 49 Mr. Purcell
b e c ame Dub l in Co un ty Co u n c i l 's
first Co un ty Solicitor. He remained
there until retirement age in 1968.
He then j o i n ed the firm of B r own
and McCa n n, Solicitors, Na as
wh e re he practised law for a further
fourteen years.
In his student days he won the c o v e t ed
Findlater Scholarship and the Law
S o c i e t y 's silver medal in his final
e x ami n a t i o n s. He obtained an M . A.
d e g r ee and an honours LLB degree
from Lo nd on University. F o l l ow i ng
qualification he lectured at the
Incorporated Law S o c i e ty of Ireland
in the law of torts.
During his career he was i n v o l v ed in
major projects like the Yo u g h al
Bridge, the Na as Ro ad Dual
t
Matthew M. Purcell, deceased
Carriageway s c h eme and the Naas By-
Pass Mo t o rway s c h eme. Like his
father before him Mr. Purcell had a
c oun t r y -w i de reputation as an
authority on Local Go v e r nme nt
administration and law. With Law
S o c i e ty sponsorship he published a
booklet on the Local Go v e r nme nt
(Planning and D e v e l o pme n t) Act,
1963 wh i ch was well received by the
legal profession.
In his youth Mr. Purcell was a capable
tennis player and an avid sports fan.
He was a frequent visitor to the
Wi mb l e d on Te nn is Ch amp i o n s h i p s.
He greatly admired the late Billy
Morton for his efforts on behalf of
athletics. With his n e p h e ws Dan and
Billy Purcell he attended Santry wh en
the great Herb Elliottbroke the world
record for a mile. His sporting
interests e x t e nd ed to gaelic football,
hurling, handball and horse racing.
A spiritual man he was a familiar
i figure mak i ng his way d o wn to Our
I Lady and St. Da v i d 's Church, Naas,
for daily Ma ss and Ho ly Commu n i o n.
Mr. Purcell was pre-deceased by his
brothers Do c t o rs Paddy, Joe, Michael
and Williamand his sisters Do c t o rs
Catherine and Margaret.
| Mr. Purcell is survived by Dr. Billy
( n e p h e w) and Carmel Purcell and
their family William, Elizabeth,
Matthew and Joseph (Naas), Dr. Dan
( n e p h ew) and Joan Purcelland their
sons William and Daniel (Ferns),
Eileen Purcell (sister-in-law), his
n e p h ew s, nieces, grandnephews,
grandnieces, great grandnephews,
| great grandnieces and his c o u s i ns in
Australia and N e w Zealand.
I Ar dheis D é g o raibh a anam.
i MP. •