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GAZETTE
JULY/AUGUST 1988
Book Review
Essays in Memo r y of
A l ex i s Fi t zGera ld
edited by
Patrick Lynch and James Meenan.
(Dublin: The Incorporated Law Society
of Ireland, 1988. x, 249pp. £15.99).
T h i s Bo ok p u b l i s h ed by t he
Incorporated Law Society consists
of 13 Essays covering a w i de range
of subjects, wh i ch reflect the deep
t h o u g h t, studies, interests and
a c t i v i t i es of t he l a te A l e x i s
FitzGerald so t hat the book should
appeal not only to t he legal pro-
fession but t o the public generally.
The i n t r oduc t o ry essay is by
Ro n an F a n n i n g, P r o f e s s or of
Modern History in U.C.D. His essay
is a biographical one, in wh i ch he
states t hat the major academic
interests of Alexis FitzGerald, apart
f r om economi c s, we re in history,
literature and political philosophy
wh i ch ex t ended in later life into
t h e o l o gy and biblical s t ud i e s.
Professor Fanning postulates t hat
if Alexis had been in a position to
pursue an academic career it might
not have been in law. That may
we ll be true, but I do not think his
colleagues wou ld agree that Alexis
held the conv i c t i on t hat " t h e law
w a s no more t han a w a y to make
a living". Alexis was a perfectionist
and, having qualified as a solicitor
he was de t e rmi ned to excel in the
field of law wh i ch explains w h y he
became a leading, if not, t he
l e a d i ng
s o l i c i t or
in
D u b l i n,
contributing a series of long articles
t o the
Irish Jurist
on Company
Law. My only criticism of this book
of Essays is the absence of an
essay on Alexis, as a l awye r, t he
profession to wh i ch he gave the
greater part of his life. He had a
deep c on v i c t i on t hat solicitors
should provide a service to all clients,
whe t her profitable or unprofitable.
The late James Meenan, the
f o r m e r P r o f e s s or of Po l i t i c al
Economy, and Patrick Lynch, n ow
Professor Emeritus of Political
E c o n o m y, Un i v e r s i ty Co l l e g e,
Dublin, came to k n ow Alexis while
s t u d y i ng e c o n om i cs and t h ey
became lifelong friends. Professor
Meenan w r i t es of Alexis f r om their
first mee t i ng in 1 9 3 7 w h en Alexis
had t aken his degree in e c onom i cs
and traces the deve l opment of
A l ex i s 's t h o u g ht in relation to
economics and politics, in wh i ch he
lectured for 20 years in U.C.D. The
essay by Professor Lynch explains
the way he and Alexis collaborated
in giving a distinctively keynesian
flavour t o the economic policies of
the first Inter-Party Gove r nmen t.
Th is es say is also e x t r eme ly
interesting on the controversial
subject of the t hen Taoiseach, Mr.
John Costello's announ c ement in
O t t awa in 1 9 48 of the intention of
t he Go v e r nme nt to declare a
Republic.
The late Desmond Williams, the
former Professor of Modern History
in U.C.D., s h ows a deep insight
into the character of Alexis and
makes an accurate analysis and
assessment of A l ex i s 's beliefs and
t hought and their influence over his
w i de interests and activities and
concludes by saying, " h e was
above all a just m a n " .
T h e r e are a l so i n t e r e s t i ng
con t r i bu t i ons by the President of
U . C . D ,
P r o f e s s or
Pa t r i ck
Masterson, entitled " A r g u i ng f r om
Intelligibility t o G o d " and by
Pr o f essor Enda M c D o n a gh on
politics and christology. Professor
McDonagh quotes an amusing quip
in a postscript to a letter he
received f r om Alexis FitzGerald in
1 9 8 1, wh en acting as adviser to
the then Taoiseach, wh i ch reads " I
am, disgracefully, more interested
RECENT
PUBLICATIONS
FROM THE
LAW SOCIETY
Essays in Memory
of Alexis FitzGerald
edited by Patrick Lynch
and James Meenan
Price: £ 1 5 . 00
plus £ 2 . 10 p. + p.
A Guide to Planning
Legislation in the
Republic of Ireland
by Kevin I. Now l an
Price: £ 2 7 . 50
plus £ 2 . 10 p. + p.
Available f r om:
The Law Society,
Blackhall Placa,
Dublin 7.
in the problems of christology t han
I am in the grave political and
e c onom ic p r ob l ems f ac i ng our
c o u n t r y "!
Of course, he in f act t ook a very
deep interest in our economic
problems, but this did not preclude
his s t udy of christology.
Dr. Conor Cruise-O'Brien wr i t es
on religion and nationalism in his
usual readable style.
The former Chief Justice, Mr.
Thomas F. O'Higgins, and Judge
Declan Costello con t r i bu te essays
on d i f f e r e nt a s p e c ts of t he
Cons t i t u t i on, wh i ch is n owa d a ys
such a controversial d o c ume n t.
In his role as a Senator, Alexis
FitzGerald wo r k ed tirelessly t o
a c h i e ve t he i m p r o v e m e nt of
legislation so that the essay on the
Role of the Seanad by Professor
J ames Dooge is an impo r t ant
con t r i bu t i on to this book, as is
P r o f e s s or J o hn Ke l l y 's e s s ay
"Po l i t i cal Parties in the Da i l ".
Also in the politial sphere we
have the essay by Dr. Garret
F i t zGe r a ld on t he An g l o - I r i sh
A g r e e m e n t
t o w h i c h
w h e n
Taoiseach he gave t op priority,
wh i le Alexis FitzGerald, he states
had s omewh at more concern for
the economic problems of the
c oun t r y.
Included in the book are t w o
con t r i bu t i ons by Alexis FitzGerald
h i m s e l f . One e s s ay on I r i sh
Democ r acy was published in the
University
Review
1 9 5 8, and the
other on Eamon de Valera, w h om
he admired in many w a y s and held
in great esteem, was published in
Studies
in 1975. Both essays stand
the test of t ime.
An intimate friend, Judge Gerard
Clarke, w h o I think it is true t o say
greatly influenced t he t h o u g ht of
Alexis FitzGerald on theological,
social and moral matters, writes on
the Trial of St. Thomas More.
Essays on legal trials can be " d u ll
reading" but Judge Clarke w h o has
made such a deep s t udy of t he life
of this great man, wh o se trial was
in many wa ys a turning point in the
history of England, has w r i t t en a
most readable essay.
These Essays are a fitting tribute
t o t h i s w o n d e r f u l
C h r i s t i an
personality, scholar, l awye r, and
politician and the Law Society is t o
be
c o n g r a t u l a t ed
on
t he
publication.
A.D.
185