The Gazette 1961 - 64

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