Presidents of The Union

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The late Justice Anthony J. Hederman is the only President to have served two separate terms; firstly in 1987-88 and then called upon again in 1996 for our centenary year celebrations, at which point the term of office also changed from school year to calendar year.

Tony is one of eighty two past men who thus far have served as President of the Union.

Bishop Nicholas Donnelly, the second incumbent served an eighteen year term but by 1947 one year terms had became the norm.  Ten year groups can lay claim to a double, and a further six go one better with three Presidents but the stand-out year is 1944 who count seven Union Presidents amongst their number. Strong family connections are also witnessed with sons following fathers, nephews after uncles and brother following brother.

A debt of gratitude is owed to each and everyone of these Presidents, for a Union of 120 years standing, the oldest such in the country, would not survive were it not for unstinting time, commitment and dedication of these past men.

Term	Pastman	Class of
2017	Colin Murtagh, Esq.	1983
2016	Lorcan Tiernan, Esq.	1988
2015	Conor McCarthy, Esq.	1984
2014	Terence O'Rourke, Esq.	1972
2013	Colin Duffy, Esq.	1987
2012	Conor Mallaghan, Esq.	1988
2011	David O'Donnell, Esq.	1984	- son of Frank, 1990-91
2010	David A. Bell, Esq.	1983	- son of David, 1989-90
2009	Fergus O'Rafferty, Esq.	1969
2008	Barry Hutch, Esq.	1966
2007	Kevin McGowan, Esq.	1963
2006	Philip Halpenny, Esq.	1971
2005	Peter Quirke, Esq.	1968
2004	Paddy Shortall, Esq.	1956
2003	John Kearney, Esq.	1977
2002	Victor Stafford, Esq.	1961
2001	Mannix MacKenna, Esq.	1971
2000	John Loughran, Esq.	1973
1999	Michael Collins, Esq.	1974
1998	John Fitzpatrick, Esq.	1963
1997	Paul MacQuillan, Esq.	1971
1996	Justice Tony Hederman	1940	- served 1st term 1987-88
1994-95	Maurice Davitt,, Esq.	1952
1993-94	Bobby Kerr, Esq.	1950
1992-93	Tony Farrell, Esq.	1944
1991-92	Stewart Harrington, Esq.	1961
1990-91	Frank O'Donnell, Esq.	1959	- father of David, 2011
1989-90	David Bell, Esq.	1938	- father of David A. 2010
1988-89	Jim Hamilton, Esq.	1950
1987-88	Justice Tony Hederman	1940	- served 2nd term 1996
1986-87	Paddy O'Callaghan, Esq.	1950
1985-86	Tommy O'Reilly, Esq.	1960	- son of Thomas A., 1958-59
1984-85	William O'Neill, Esq.	1947
1983-84	Brendan Jeffers, Esq.	1946
1982-83	Niall Crowley, Esq.	1944
1981-82	Joseph H. Downes, Esq.	1944	- nephew of Joseph V, 1939-42
1980-81	Eugene Smyth, Esq.	1943	- son of John, 1951-52
1979-80	Liam Cosgrave, Esq.	1940
1978-79	Robert J. Moran, Esq.	1938
1977-78	Dermot G. O'Donovan, Esq.	1926	- brother of Donough, 1960-61
1976-77	Colman Healy, Esq.	1945
1975-76	Brian F. Smyth, Esq.	1940	- nephew of Eddie, 1937-39
1974-75	Dr. Harry Barniville	1944
1973-74	Dr. John Cooney	1944
1972-73	Alec J. Blayney, M.Ch.	1936
1971-72	Frank Winston, Esq.	1944	- brother of Martin, 1964-65
1970-71	Laurence Steen, Esq.	1937
1969-70	J. Niall McGovern, Esq.	1939
1968-69	Senator Bryan G. Alton, M.D.	1936
1967-68	Raymond Carroll, Esq.	1944
1966-67	John Burke, Esq.	1928
1965-66	Peter Lyons, Esq.	1928
1964-65	Martin J. Winston, Esq.	1941	- brother of Frank, 1971-72
1963-64	Noel Burke, Esq.	1936
1962-63	Lorcan Brereton, Esq.	1923
1961-62	James Moran, Esq.	1925
1960-61	Donough K. O'Donovan,	1927	- brother of Dermot, 1977-78
1959-60	Charles J. Hanrahan, Esq.	1920
1958-59	Thomas A. O'Reilly, Esq.	1925	- father of Tommy, 1985-86
1957-58	Edward J. Lightfoot, Esq...	1925
1956-57	Barry P. Devlin, Esq., B.D.S.	1921
1955-56	Edward G. Garland, Esq.	1918
1954-55	Dr. Maurice C. Brogan	1921
1953-54	Michael J. Dunne, Esq.	1924
1952-53	Joseph O'Farrell, Esq.	1917
1951-52	John F. Smyth, Esq.	1906	- father of Eugene, 1980-81
1950-51	Philip O'Donoghue, Esq., S.C.	1912
1949-50	Dr. James C. Carroll	1908
1948-49	Thomas E. Murphy, Esq.	1911	- bother of Joseph, 1945-47
1947-48	Bernard C. Muntz, Esq.	1895
1945-47	Joseph J. Murphy, Esq., L.D.S.	1906	- brother of Thomas, 1948-49
1942-45	Percy Higgins, Esq.	1906
1939-42	Professor Joseph V. Downes	1909	- uncle of Joseph H., 1981-82
1937-39	Eddie J. Smyth, Esq., B.L.	1899	- uncle of Brian, 1975-76
1935-37	Joseph P. Keogh, Esq.	1901	- brother of Peter, 1924-26
1933-35	Cecil Lavery, Esq., S.C.	1912
1930-33	Edward J. Kelly, Esq., S.C.	1900
1928-30	Professor Pierce Purcell	1899
1926-28	William J. Tunney, Esq.	1893
1924-26	Dr. Peter J. Keogh.	1903	- brother of Joseph, 1935-37
1920-24	Joseph E. McDermott, Esq.	1872
1902-20	Most Reverend Nicholas Donnelly, Bishop of Canea.	1854
1896-02	Charles Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen	1848