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John Maher: an appreciation
John Maher (second left) presenting a print of Blackhall Place to then President Patrick Glynn and
then Senior Vice President Andrew F Smyth.
John Maher's recent sudden death has
robbed the profession of one of its most
respected and well-loved practitioners.
John had a long and most distinguished
career, having qualified as a solicitor in
Easter Term 1939 and continued in
practice right up to his death.
After qualifying, he joined the family
firm of Daniel C Maher & Son which
his father had founded in 1903. During
its life-span, the firm has earned a well-
deserved reputation of providing a
really competent service to its clients.
The practice has numbered many
illustrious persons among its clientele
over the years. In its early years it
acted as solicitor to the Pearse family
and, in fact, John's father administered
the affairs of Padraig Pearse and his
brother Willie on behalf of their mother
following the 1916 Rising.
John was a fine all-round solicitor who
during his long career provided an
excellent but very personalised service
to his clients. However, John's truly
great expertise was in the field of
conveyancing. He undoubtedly was
one of the great conveyancers of his
era. Like all true exponents of the
conveyancing art, he possessed the
skill of identifying the essential
core aspects of often very complex
and difficult matters and providing
simple and direct solutions to the
problems involved.
John freely and generously shared his
phenomenal skill as a conveyancer
with his colleagues as, in his private
life, he always sought to be helpful
towards everyone whom he
encountered. He not only believed in
the old fashioned codes of courtesy and
co-operation but always practised such
codes in his professional and private
life. The consideration and courtesy
extended by John towards his
colleagues who transacted business
with him was legendary. He always
was prepared to assist his colleagues,
particularly those who were younger
and less experienced than himself, to
facilitate the completion of the
business in hand.
Older practitioners will remember the
sheer pleasure felt by them on learning
from their clients who were purchasing
property that their clients were
financing the transaction with the
assistance of a loan from the financial
institution of which John, like his
father before him, was the law agent.
John always sought to facilitate the
prompt completion of mortgage
transactions in the mutual interests of
his own clients and their borrowers.
John was a very straightforward and
uncomplicated man. However, he was
very proud of his role as a member of
his profession to which he rendered
very dedicated and loyal service during
his career. He was first elected to the
Law Society Council in 1952 and
remained a member of the Council
until his retirement in 1977. Colleagues
who served with him both on the
Council and on the many committees
of the Society of which he was a
member remember with envy his
remarkable ability of making often
concise but always worthwhile
contributions to matters under
consideration by them.
As an expression of the pride he always
felt in his profession, John generously
donated to the Society some years ago a
set of prints of the first drawings
prepared by Thomas Ivory, architect, for
the construction of the premises which
now comprise the Society's
headquarters at Blackhall Place - the
originals of which were deposited in the
British Museum. The prints now adorn
the wall of the ground floor passageway
of the Society's headquarters.
He was greatly honoured to be elected
President of the Society for the year
1964-1965. In his uniquely quiet
manner he carried with ease the
distinction of his presidency during
which he represented the profession
and the Society both at home and
abroad with exceptional dignity and
distinction. Despite his innate shyness,
John had the gift enjoyed by very few
people of being completely at home in
any company as he himself invariably
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