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John M Hearne

Margaret Aylward Dr Edward Barron Philip Barron Denis Cashman Raymond Chandler Paddy Coad Patrick Comerford Donncha Ruadh Val Doonican Sean Dunne Frank Edwards Alfie Hale John M Hearne William Hobson Dr Thomas Hussey Charles Kean John Keane Edmund Leamy D. P. Moran Gen Dick Mulcahy James Nash Peter O'Connor Jas Louis O'Donnell Pádraig Ó Fainín Gilbert O'Sullivan John Redmond Edmund I Rice James Rice, Mayor Lord Roberts V. C. John Roberts Frank Ryan Thomas Sexton Archbishop Sheehan Susan Smith John Treacy Luke Wadding William V. Wallace Cardinal Wiseman Bullocks Wyse Lucien Bonaparte Wyse

 

 

John M Hearne, constitutional lawyer and diplomat was born in Waterford in 1893. He received his early education at Waterpark College, Waterford and later at University College, Dublin. After his University days he attended St. Patrick's College, Maynooth with the intention of becoming a priest but, realising that he did not have a vocation to the priesthood, he left there to enter King's Inns to become a lawyer. He was called to the Bar, entered public service and became assistant parliamentary draftsman from 1923-29. He became an authority on constitutional law and he was appointed the legal advisor to the Irish delegation at the Imperial Conferences in 1926, 1929 and 1930. 
He was the legal advisor to the Department of External Affairs between 1929-37. After the Fianna Fáil party came to power in 1932, Mr. DeValera took on the dual role of Taoiseach and Minister of External Affairs and he and Hearne developed a close working relationship.  n 1935, when Mr. DeValera decided on a new Constitution of Ireland he instructed Hearne to draft the heads of the new constitition. In effect, the new constitution was the joint work of the two men and this can be seen in the fact that when the new constitution came into being on December 29th, 1937 Mr. DeValera presented a copy to Hearne with the following dedication, "Architect-in-Chief and Draftsman ... in testimony of the fundamental part he took in framing this, the Free Constitution of the Irish People." He was called to the Inner Bar in 1939 in recognition for his work in drafting the Constitution.


 

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