1
11 April 1916 BUCKLAND,
FARING N, BERKS. Dear Sir With some diffidence,
I venture to bring to your
notice the name of Sir John
OConnell Solicitor ( 34 Kildare St
Dublin ) who is a candidate
for the post of Chief Crown
solicitor for Ireland
2
I realise of course that these
are Halcyon days, as regards party
claims. However I hope it may
not be considered at any rate a
disqualification, as regards my
advocacy, in that my
3
family for generations have
been on the Liberal side. My grandfather, the Rt Honble
Maurice Fitzgerald 18th Knight of
Kerry, was MP for Kerry as
the liberal member for 35
years—
and I myself in 1884
attended a tory stronghold in
Northamptonshire under the
4
banner of Mr Gladstone & was
only defeated by 60 votes. The Firm of Sir John O'Connell
has been our family lawyers
for several generations. Impossible to speak too highly
of Sir John O'Connell's qualifications
for the office he hopes to fill. I remain
Dear Sir
Yours faithfully
Knight of Kerry.
This letter was written by Sir Maurice Fitzgerald (1844-1916) the 20th Knight of Kerry
and the 2nd Baronet of Valencia.
In this letter Fitzgerald recommends Sir John Robert O'Connell (1868-1943) for the
vacant position of chief crown solicitor. Fitzgerald states that his family has been
on the Liberal side for generations and that his own grandfather, the 18th Knight
of Kerry Sir Maurice Fitzgerald was MP for Kerry as a Liberal member for thirty-five
years. He speaks highly of O'Connell and cannot recommend him enough for the position.