The Gazette 1967/71

qualified person to provide this service as is the case in England. The basic idea is that the mem ber would complete certain forms draft the objects clause and thereafter the mechanics of formation would be executed on his behalf for a fee. It is also envisaged that the Society might have avail able a number of "ready made" companies which would be available to members. If members who would be interested in availing of such a service would make their interest known to the Society in the coming weeks the potential support for such a service could be gauged. Should sufficient interest be shown it is hoped that the service could be in operation by an early date. 3rd July, 1968: The President in the chair, also present Messrs. Peter D. M. Prentice, Robert McD. Taylor, Ralph J. Walker, John B. Jermyn, Norman Spendlove, Thomas Jackson (Junior), Desmond Moran, John Garrigan, Bruce St. J. Blake, T. O'Donnell, Eunan McCarron, John Maher, J. C. Carroll, Rory O'Connor, Richard Knight, Joseph Dundon, G. M. Doyle, Gerald Hickey, Thomas J. Fitzpatrick, Desmond J. Collins, James R. G. Green, Brendan A. McGrath, P. A. O'Donnell, W. A. Osborne, D. O'Connor. The report of the Premises Committee was received and discussed. It was decided that the Society should purchase King's Hospital School. THE KINGS HOSPITAL As reported in the Gazette (May 1968, Vol. 62, No. 1) the Council appointed a sub-committee to investigate the possibility of obtaining additional premises for the Society. The committee, to which the following members were appointed, Peter D. M. Prentice, Desmond Moran, Bruce St. J. Blake, P. C. Moore, Norman T. J. Spendlove, recommen ded to the Council that Kings Hospital School be purchased at a price of £105,000 and at a special meeting of the Council on the 3rd July, 1968 the decision to purchase was taken. The Hospital and Free School of King Charles the Second was founded by Royal Charter in 1669. The buildings were designed by Thomas Ivory who was born in Cork in 1720. He was the most celebrated architect of his day and was eventually Master of the Dublin Society School of Architecture, where he was succeeded by James Gandon, designer of the Custom House and other^ famous Dublin buildings. The King's Hospital is Ivory's finest remaining work. He retired in 1780 after supervising the completion of the main building including the facade and the

boardroom. The original drawings were presented to King George III and are presently housed in the British Museum. It is claimed that the King's Hospital is one of the most beautiful and original of Dublin's Georgian buildings. Ivory excelled in detail and variations of scale and King's Hospital is an example of how he successfully combined shallow curves, slender lan;erns and lace-like balustrade. His plans- were never carried out completely. The central cupola, much modified, was erected in 1894 from R. J. Stirling's design. The foundation stone of the new school building was laid in 1773 by the City Fathers. The Board of Govenors was selected from the prominent citizens of Dublin, but in 1871 the Free School became the private school which has continued to occupy the property up to the present time. Archbishop James Usher, the son of the first Sir Winston Churchill (later the first Duke of Marlborough) and Dean Swift were all associated with the school. The boys wore a special uniform down to 1914 at least, long blue cassocks at first, later blue swallow-tail coats and yellow waistcoats and hence it was known as the "Blewcoat" or Blue- coat School. The school is moving to modern premises situated near Lucan on the outskirts of the City in the Autumn of 1970. It is thought that the new premises will provide a fitting environment for the Society's law school, and perhaps a centre for combined legal educa tion at some future date. While the King's Hospital is structurally sound, extensive in terior modification and decoration will be neces sary to convert the premises into modern office accommodation lecture rooms and so forth. The solicitors nominated to act for the Society in the purchase are J. G. O'Connor & Co., 9, Clare Street, Dublin 2. The Society will nominate architects in due course to prepare detailed plans for the renovation and utilisation of the premises. COMMENTS ON THE INTERNATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE "I have never heard such universal approbation of the sustained brilliance of the Law Society's Social functions for the delegates of the Inter national Bar Association". —James Dillon, T.D. "I suppose in a way I am wearing two hats at once. In my hat as Treasurer of the I.B.A. I lit