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International Bar Association meeting was an experience which
my wife and I found intensely exciting and most interesting.
My inability to bring to a satisfactory conclusion a number of
matters which seemed to drag on interminably was exasperating
but I think that as my year approaches its end there are not too
many of those annoying loose ends remaining untied. The
support which the Council and I received from the bar
associations and the profession generally during some very
difficult times is what I will always remember most vividly.
I want to thank them sincerely for their loyalty and help which
culminated in the vote of confidence given at the special
meeting on the zgth October.
The greater part of my year of office was most enjoyable.
I represented our Society at innumerable functions and was the
recipient of endless hospitality—as was my wife. I was invited
to and thoroughly enjoyed dinners given by a number of
bar associations here in Ireland.
I also attended a dinner of
the Birmingham Law Association. My wife and I spent a most
delightful three days at Gleneagles as the guests of the Scottish
Law Society and subsequently spent five days at Folkestone
as the guests of the Law Society of England and Wales at
their Annual Conference. Both in Scotland and England we
received the most wonderful hospitality. The honour done
to me as president during my year made me feel very proud
indeed of our Society and I take this opportunity to say how
grateful I am for my election.
I am lost in admiration of the amazing patience and under
standing of the Council in dealing with me as president during
the year and no one could have expected more support than
they gave me. Were it not for them I might have considered
at one time that " abdication" was the only solution to
" Succession " difficulties.
I thank them most sincerely.
Mr. John Maher and Mr. Patrick Noonan, my vice-
presidents, were towers of strength and gave every assistance
possible.
As usual the heaviest burdens during the year were borne
by Mr. Eric Plunkett, our secretary, who dealt so efficiently
with a huge number of most difficult problems. It must be
realised that there has been in recent years a substantial increase
in the work of running our Society and I think that Mr.
Plunkett deserves the greatest possible credit for his zeal and
the care he takes to bring to the attention of the Council all
matters which might affect the interests of the solicitors'
profession.
So far as I personally am concerned, I simply state that the
assistance he gave to me, during what was at times quite a
difficult year, was enormous and I am very grateful to him.
Mr. Smyth, the assistant to Mr. Plunkett, has also helped
considerably in the day to day running of the affairs of our
Society. I thank him also for the work he has done and the
assistance that he has given to me.
To Mr. Gavan Duffy, our librarian, and to the entire staff
in the office I give my sincere thanks for their help and
courtesy.
William O'Reilly, whose first duty is to look after the
Chain of Office, was always available when I had to wear it
and his assistance on many occasions in the President's Room
after some of the evening lectures was greatly appreciated
by me.
Finally, I wish to thank Mr. Charles Haughey, now Minister
for Agriculture, for his willingness to meet me personally so
many times throughout the year for the purpose of discussing
matters about which we were not always
ad idem
and for his
personal kindness to me.
I wish also to thank Mr. Brian
Lenihan, now Minister for Justice, for his understanding of
the difficulties of our profession and for being ready and
•willing, so soon after his appointment as Minister for Justice,
to receive a deputation from our Society and to see me
personally in an endeavour to finalise some important out
standing matters.
I would like to assure Mr. Lenihan that
our Council is always anxious to co-operate with and assist
him and the Department of Justice if called upon to do so.
I have done my best during the past year in the interest of
our profession and if that best was not good enough I am
sorry. I do believe, however, that I have made more friends
than enemies and I honestly say that I have had a memorable
and enjoyable year which my election as president made
possible.
I am very grateful.
I have pleasure now in moving the adoption of report and
I ask Mr. John Maher to formally second it.
The meeting concluded with a vote ofthanks to the President
for his services to the Society proposed by Mr. Edward
Carroll and carried with acclamation.
COMMITTEES OF THE COUNCIL,
1964-65
1. REGISTRAR'S :
Brendan A. McGrath, Chairman; Thomas H.
Bacon, Augustus Cullen,
Gerard M. Doyle,
Raymond A. French, Desmond Moran, William
A. Osborne, Ralph J. Walker.
2. COMPENSATION FUND :
Brendan A. McGrath, Chairman; Thomas H.
Bacon, Augustus Cullen,
Gerard M. Doyle,
Raymond A. French, Desmond Moran, William
A. Osborne, Ralph J. Walker.
3. FINANCE, LIBRARY AND PUBLICATIONS :
George G. Overend, Chairman ; Niall S. Gaffney,
John C. O'Carroll, Rory O'Connor, James W.
O'Donovan.
4. PARLIAMENTARY :
Senator Thomas J. Fitzpatrick, Chairman ; Francis
A. Armstrong, Cornelius J. Daly, Senator John J.
Nash, Patrick O'Donnell, T.D.
5. PRIVILEGES :
Thomas V. O'Connor, Chairman; Thomas H.
Bacon,
Joseph Black, William
J. Comerford,
Raymond A. French, John B. Jennings, Senator
John J. Nash, Reginald J. Nolan, Thomas E.
O'Donnell.
6. COURT OFFICES AND COSTS :
Francis J. Lanigan, Chairman ; Senator Thomas J.
Fitzpatrick, John F. Foley, Gerald Y. Goldberg,
D. J. O'Connor, Thomas A. O'Reilly, William A.
Tormey, Richard Knight, John I. Horgan, Gerald
J. Moloney.
7. COURT OF EXAMINERS :
James R. C. Green, Chairman; John Carrigan,
Patrick Noonan, Thomas A. O'Reilly, Peter D. M.
Prentice.