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Conclusion
My presidential year is now approaching its end
and very shortly I shall hand over this insignia of
office to my successor. May I say that for me it
has been a very happy and interesting year and
I am deeply grateful for the honour bestowed upon
me by your Council when, last year, they elected
me as president.
I have had the honour to represent your Society
at numerous functions and have been entertained
most hospitably by other institutions.
On numerous occasions I have been accompanied
by my wife and everywhere we were treated as
honoured guests—showing the position and esteem
in which your Society is held. I have been entertained
by the Northern Law Society in Belfast and my
wife and I have been guests of the Scottish Law
Society at Gleneagles and of the English Law
Society at their annual conference at Harrogate.
I had the privilege as your president of addressing
the National Conference of the English Law Society
at their opening Plenary Session in October, 1963.
I believe that this was the first occasion upon which
our Society was so honoured. At this conference
I endeavoured to explain the difference as between
our laws and theirs and to show that ours in certain
respects were better.
My colleagues on the Council have supported me
with their advice and have shown patience with my
shortcomings. In particular I should like to thank
my vice-presidents, Mr. Desmond Collins and
Mr. Patrick O'Donnell—both of whom have been
always ready to ease my burdens. Mr. Plunkett has
been a continuing source of help and assistance, and
I am more than grateful to him. He is the chief
executive officer of your Society and we are very
fortunate to have him—not only for his smooth
running of the day to day business of the Society
but for his unflagging energy in watching at all
times the interest of the profession.
Mr. Gavan Duffy in the Library has always met
my enquiries with kindly interest and has been most
helpful. To the office staff, I express my sincere
gratitude for
their ever willing assistance and
lastly, I thank Mr. William O'Reilly who looked
after me and my chain of office with his usual
efficiency.
I think that I am the first State Solicitor to have
held the office of president of your Society, and this
I could not have done without the help, assistance
and forbearance of the Attorney General and the
Chief State Solicitor. To both of them I am very
grateful.
Judge Scan McD. Fawsitt, the Circuit
Judge for the County of Carlow, has been more
than considerate and so to have the Justices of the
District Court before whom, during the last twelve
months, I have appeared and very often have failed
to appear.
Finally, I thank my colleagues in the Carlow Bar
Association who understanding my problems had
the greatest forbearance when my official duties
interfered with the normal flow of legal work
between professional colleagues.
During my year I have met a lot of old friends
and have made new ones, and I look back with
gratitude to the Society for having put me in a
position so to do and to give me what has been
one of the happiest years of my life.
It is now, with great pleasure, that I move the
adoption of our report and I would ask Mr. Desmond
Collins formally to second the proposal.
Mr. Desmond J. Collins seconded the adoption
of the report and the motion was carried unani
mously.
Mr. Edward J. Kenny proposed that the President
should vacate the chair which was taken by Mr.
Desmond Collins, Vice-President. Mr. Kenny then
proposed a vote of thanks to the President for his
distinguished services to the profession during his
year of office.
The motion was carried with general acclamation.
There was no further business.
MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL
OCTOBER 3RD: The President in the chair, also
present Messrs. John J. Nash, Ralph J. Walker,
Desmond Moran, G. G. Overend, James R. C.
Green, Patrick Noonan, Thomas A. O'Reilly,
Reginald J. Nolan, Niall S. Gaffney, George A.
Nolan, James W. O'Donovan, John Carrigan,
Desmond J. Collins, John Maher, William A.
Tormey, Gerard M. Doyle, Richard Knight,
Edward J. C. Dillon, W. R. Osborne, Eunan
McCarron, Rory O'Connor, Augustus Cullen,
John C. O'Carroll, R. A. French, Brendan A.
McGrath, T. V. O'Connor and R. McD. Taylor.
The following was among the business transacted :
Authentication of Documents for the
United States Courts
Complaints were received of undue delay in
having these documents completed and forwarded
to the United States. It was decided that representa
tions should be made to the President of the High
Court.
Same solicitor for purchaser/mortgagor
On a report from the Committee the Council
expressed the opinion that the solicitor acting in
both transactions is entitled to charge the full