The Gazette 1952-1955

names as being present:—John Carrigan, John R. Halpin, Henry St. J. Blake, Patrick R. Boyd, Desmond J. Collins, Cornelius J. Daly, Charles J. Downing, Niall S. Gaffney, Francis J. Lanigan, John Maher, Desmond J. Mayne, John J. Nash, George A. Nolan, William J. Norman, Peter E. O’Connell, James J. O’Connor, Louis E. O’Dea, Sean O hUadhaigh, Senator Patrick F. O’Reilly, Thomas A. O’Reilly, George G. Overend, James R. Quirke, Dermot P. Shaw, John J. Sheil, Joseph P. Tyrrell, Ralph J. Walker, C. E. Callan, D. M. Martin, Barry M. O’Meara, Edmund Hayes, John B. Jermyn, A. E. Ashton, Adelaide M. Quinn, James G. O’Connor, Kevin Burke, Arthur G. Ardagh, John J. O’Dwyer, Ernest W. Proud, Desmond Moran, D. R. Pigot, James J. Hickey, Benedict J. Daly, F. A. Gibney, F. X . Burke, Brendan J. Wallace, John Sealy, Joseph J. Hughes. The notice convening the meeting was, by per­ mission of the meeting, taken as read. The minutes of the Ordinary General Meeting held on 26th November 1953, were read, confirmed and signed by the Chairman. The Chairman announced that he nominated the following members of the Society to act as Scrutineers o f the Ballot for election of the Council to be held on 18th November, 1954 :— John R. McC. Blakeney, James R. Green, Thomas Jackson, Brendan P. McCormack, Roderick J. Tierney. The President, addressing the meeting, said :— “ Ladies and Gentlemen: As the 84th President o f this Society presiding over the 336th General Meeting, it is my duty and privilege to relate to you all the activities o f your Council and the progress made in many directions in forwarding the interests of the solicitor’s profession since our last General Meeting in November. Before embarking on that task, it is my melancholy obligation to call to your minds for a moment the names o f fellow members, friends and colleagues, who have been claimed by death since our last assembly here. I refer to Timothy J. Golden (Mallow), John Elgee (Wexford), Joseph I. Donaghy (Belfast), George Hogan (Dublin), Charles A. McKenzie (Belfast), William King (Strabane), Thomas McComb, (Belfast), Hugh Mcllroy (Belfast), John B. McCutcheon (Belfast), John D. Coates (Belfast), William X . White (Portlaoise), Sharman Ross (Glasslough), James J. Mooney (Cork), Charles Ebrill (Limerick), Thomas J. Kelly (New Ross), James O’Doherty, (Sligo), Richard Hudson (Tralee), John B. Rearden (Cork), Laurence F. Branigan (Drogheda), Francis H. Purcell (Macroom), William Walsh (Navan), John J . Smyth (Drogheda) (Member o f Council 1943-48. Vice-President 1947- 48), Gerald J. O’Donnell (Ennis). While death is a great leveller and all are entitled to a place in our thoughts, I feel that I should mention the very

special sorrow felt by the profession as a whole, and particularly by his colleagues on the Council at the tragically unexpected passing o f Mr. O’Donnell. I had known him personally for 30 years as a loyal friend, and in latter years as an unselfish and zealous worker on behalf of the profession. He sat with his colleagues on the Council only a few short days before all were shocked to hear of his collapse and death. He was a former Vice-President o f the Society and the Council’s representative on the Land Registration Rules Committee for many years, and his loss will be keenly felt throughout the profession as well as by his very many friends. May they rest in peace. Legal Education O kie o f the functions discharged by the Society which has ever been and still is a constant charge on our responsibilities is the proper education o f out- apprentices. I do not wish to weary you by repeating what has been said before now by my predecessors, but for some time it has been manifest that the position is far from satisfactory. The number o f our students attending University degree courses is still too small. For this state of affairs no doubt there is in many cases an economic explanation, but it is hard to believe that the means are available to so few to absorb the theory and science o f the law in the lecture halls of our Universities whilst still on the threshold o f our profession and while youth is still on their side. Encouragement to proceed to a degree is extended to our students by curtailment o f the years of service under Inden­ tures afforded to graduates. Both the profession and the individuals concerned would be the richer in knowledge and experience if as many apprentices as possible would strive to achieve an intelligent balance o f attendance between the more generalised lectures o f the Universities and the more specialised lectures delivered under the auspices o f this Society. Let it not be thought that I am overlooking or side stepping the fact that no lecture wherever delivered will suffice to befit a young man to enter into the stormy waters o f practice unless every other available hour is spent in the office o f his master, where there should be available to him the wise counsel and the fruits o f the experience of one sensible o f his duty and o f his responsibility to the boy, his parents, and this profession. The great majority o f our apprentices only attend one or other of the Universities as external students for a two-year course, which entitles them to a remission o f one year’s service under indentures. That this to a large extent is a waste o f time is the opinion of your Council and, indeed, of some of the Universities’ professors, in so far as the subjects on which lectures are delivered by the latter, are 3