The Gazette 1964/67

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.