109 / 216
June, 1942]
The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland
On the motion of Mr. Cox, seconded by
Mr. Blake it was resolved that the appoint
ment by the Council of Messrs. Kevans &
Sons, Auditors, of 1, 2, 3, Westmoreland
Street, Dublin, as professional auditors of
the Society's accounts for the year ending
30th April, 1942, be approved.
The President, addressing the meeting,
said :—
Gentlemen—Since our last meeting death
has dealt very heavily with our Society. We
have lost our beloved Secretary who, for over
a half century gave of his very best to the
interests of our Society. You will have seen
from our Gazette some of the tributes that
were 'paid to him, and since the Gazette
appeared further resolutions of sympathy
and letters of condolence have come in from
country Bar Associations and from many
other sources.
These tributes were more
than deserved.
No man could have striven
harder for the good of the Society or with
such outstanding success and it is given to
few to make so many friends.
It may be
said of him that he stood in "
loco parentis "
to
every
solicitor
and every solicitor's
apprentice in the country. To know him
was to love him and respect him, and we
shall sadly miss him from our meetings.
Every President regarded him in times of
difficulty and distress as the one man whose
unerring judgment could be implicitly relied
on, and whose tact and courtesy and patience
were unfailing. We shall not look upon his
like again.
We have also lost during the year a past
President in the person of Mr. Edward D.
MacLaughlin, who died on the 2nd April,
1942, in Dublin. Mr. MacLaughlin held the
office of President in the year 1904/5, and
was latter appointed Chief Clerk to the Lord
Chancellor in 1S07, and after that office was
abolished he was Chief Clerk to the Chief
Justice up to the year 1926, when he retired.
We have also lost under tragic circum
stances John Brennan, a past Vice-President
of this Council—a very valued member and
a man of the highest integrity. Amongst
those who are no longer with us, and whose
loss we deplore, are the following :—
James G
Franks, Solicitor, died 2nd
November,
1941 ;
Patrick J. Kavanagh
(Senior), Solicitor, died 3rd November, 1941 ;
George Green, Solicitor, died 15th Novem
ber, 1941 ;
Daniel McLoughlin, Solicitor,
died 17th November, 1941 ; Thomas W.
Franks, Solicitor,
died 18th November,
1941 ; William J. McClenaghan, Solicitor,
died 14th December,
1941
;
C. Rupert
Robinson, Solicitor, died 21st December,
1941 ;
Edward Leahy, Solicitor, died 31st
December, 1941 ; J. Cecil B. O'Dowd, Solic-
tor, died
4th January, 1942 ;
Edward
Phelan, Solicitor, died 10th January, 1942 ;
Patrick O'Connor,
Solicitor,
died 12th
January, 1942 ; Attwell H. Alien, died 14th
January, 1942 ; Francis J. Anderson, Solici
tor, died 9th February,' 1942 ; Thomas F.
Figgis, Solicitor, died 20th February, 1942 ;
William J. Verlin, Solicitor, died 26th Feb
ruary, 1942 ; John Brennan, Solicitor, died
28th February 1942 ; George Nicholls, late
County Registrar, Galway, died llth May
1942.
The Council at its meeting yesterday ap
pointed Mr. Eric A. Plunkett to be our new
Secretary, and I would like on behalf of the
Society as a whole to extend a warm wel
come to him. He will have an unenviable
task in following as Secretary in the steps of
such an outstanding personality as Mr.
Wakely, but I have no doubt he will
worthily uphold the great tradition of his
office.
It will be within your recollection that at
a special General Meeting of the Law Society
held in September of last year the draft of
the Solicitors' Bill was referred to a special
Joint Committee composed of some mem
bers of the Council and representatives of the
different Sessional Bar Associations through
out Eire, and it was understood that all
suggested amendments would be sent to the
Joint Committee for consideration.
The
various Sessional Bar Associations were
asked to send in their views in advance.
Numerous suggestions and suggested amend
ments were received, and early this year the
Joint Committee held a prolonged sitting, at
which something like 90 to 100 amendments
were considered and dealt with.
In the vast
majority of cases the Joint Committee was