The Gazette 1975

wants as much information about a specific problem as all the law reports provide. To do this a book on land law would have to contain thousands of pages. The student wants a general statement of principles with some illustrations from modern cases as to their appli- cation. I think that Mr. Wylie has struck an admirable balance. Another feature of the book is its emphasis on the importance of taxation considerations in dealing with property in land. The earlier text books ignored this : to their authors taxation was beneath contempt. That may have been suitable in Victorian times but today taxation forms such an important part of the law that it affects every legal transaction. However obscure the language of the Finance Acts may be, the law student must learn at an early stage in his training that he must be able to tell his client what effect a trans- action will have on his tax liability. We have also included a number of chapters on Equity. We believe that it is impossible to deal with the law of Property in land in isolation from Equity for the two must be taught together. This publication has been subsidised by the Arthur Cox Foundation. Arthur Cox was a very remarkable man. He was President of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland in 1952, the year in which the Society celebrated its centenary and he was selected for that high office for that year because of his remarkable lin- guistic abilities. He spoke and wrote French and Ger- man well. He was associated with the foundation of many businesses which have become great enterprises. He was solicitor for and a director of Carrolls and Irish Ropes Limited. He dealt with an enormous amount of work. His day began at 9.15 a.m., when he arrived in his office, and ended at midnight. This is not legend because when I was in practice, I got a number of telephone calls from him at 11.30 p.m. to know if I could possibly call into his office to discuss an urgent problem. When this happened, I drove him to Howth at about three o'clock in the morning. He worked on the mornings and afternoons of Saturdays and went home and read Plato in Greek. He worked the whole of Sunday When he decided to retire from practice a number of his clients and friends decided to establish a fund to subsidise the publication of Irish legal text hooks. There was a most generous response to our appeal. In conversation with me he frequently lamented the absence of text books on Irish law. I am glad to say that the trustees of the Foundation (Mr. Russell Mur- phy, F.G.A., the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland and I) have now subsidised three text books. Dr. J. P. Ileddy was a trustee for many years and was largely responsible for the decision to put our funds on deposit with banks and hire purchase companies. Thus the Foundation has been spared the heavy capital losses which holders of so called gilt-edged securities have had to endure during the last ten years. When Arthur Cox decided to retire from practice, he studied for the priesthood, was subsequently ordained and went to Zambia to do missionary work. He died there as the result of a motor-car accident. Happy is the life of a whole-time author. He can give his seven or eight hours a day to his books. The posi- tion of anyone who is trying to write a book and who has other commitments is entirely different. Mrs. Wylie has had to endure the absences of her husband from Cardiff while he worked in Dublin. He had his teaching duties in Cardiff as well. At weekends my wife saw me at meal times only and put up with that with apparent cheerfulness. Each of them have contributed to the writing of this book.

I have said that one of our aims was to produce a book which would be suitable for use in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland. Much of the law of property in land, a subject which used to be called Real Property, is the same in the two States. In any case where it differs wc have stated the law in both jurisdictions. In most European and American States there is one national tradition made up of events in the past in which all citizens take pride. The English national tradition begins with Henry V and the battle of Agin- court, the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the wars against Napoleon and the First and Second World Wars. In Ireland, as in Belgium and in Canada, we have two national traditions. One is Gaelic and Republican and Roman Catholic; the other is lowland Scots and Pro- testant. Mr. Wylie belongs to one; I belong to the other. Our very happy partnership and the production of this book show that those who on both sides preach that one tradition is better than the other or that one is so morally superior to the other, that those belonging to one cannot work with and have the highest esteem for someone belonging to the other, are preaching nonsense. It is no excuse for the preachers to say that they hold their views sincerely. The guards at Buchenwald and Auschwitz held the view sincerely that it was necessary to have a final solution of the Jewish problem by kill- ing millions of people. Your attendance this evening is a tribute to Mr. Wylie's colossal industry and to his desire to help students and practitioners in the Republic and in Northern Ireland. Lastly, the Incorporated Law Society have agreed to act as selling agents for the book without charge. You can help us by buying your copy of the book through (continued on page 281) PHOTOGRAPHY for Legal Purposes LOCATIONS ACCIDENTS MEDCALand NJURYCASES RECORDS Expert photography in Black&White and Colour. Experience in all types of photography, including Medical/Clinical work. write or telephone BERYL STONE PhotoTechniciues I Phone 30 Morehampton Road,Dublin 4 1684111

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