Samuel Deasy – 186th Auditor of the LSDSI

“Congrats! You’re the Auditor” was the text message. In a long campaign, with five other candidates, I had already accepted defeat and gone to the gym. I was in shock when I heard the news. I ran up several flights of stairs to the Benchers’ Room where I was greeted by a round of applause and many kind congratulations from other candidates, staff, and students. Even then, I kept expecting someone to laugh and tell me it was all a joke but that moment never came.

I had decided early on that I would run. As a King’s Inns Diploma in Legal Studies student, the events organised by the Auditor and the committee helped to convince me that life at the Bar was worthwhile. I began thinking of my own ideas on how to improve the lives of students at the King’s Inns. I started planning for the election right after the summer entrance exams.

By the time nominations closed, five other candidates had also thrown their hats in the ring. This was a surprise as other years there had only been just two or three candidates. The competition was going to be tough. Professional posters and flyers were everywhere. Polls were open for two weeks with candidates appearing at a hustings in front of each class. Although posters and hustings were important, I felt that meeting the voters one–on–one was going to decide the election. And even that would not be enough – staying honest, genuine and listening to what people had to say would be key.

Nobody is ever truly ‘self–made’ and let me say, I ran the election with a lot of help from others. Special mention here for my old friends from the Diploma class (thank you all). Thanks also to my mum and my former Diploma class–mate and campaign manager Michael Lyons, who knows this institution inside–out. They both offered me invaluable advice.

After the result, almost as soon as I finished my acceptance speech, I met with the Dean and last year’s Auditor. Within 48 hours I had formed my committee and had our first meeting. I particularly wanted the committee to reflect the fact that the Irish Bar has a large number of female members. We have now assembled together many extremely hard–working and capable individuals, with a special mention going to our Treasurer Sara–Jane O’Brien, who has a first–class intellect and an eye for detail.

And now to work: Like all student bodies, raising cash to fund our programme is a key task. One of my election promises was more inclusion of Diploma and Modular students in extra–curricular activities, not only because it is the right thing to do but also because it makes economic sense. Flexible scheduling and a broader menu of activities will help this to become a reality. We can now look forward to a Careers’ Day, a weekend away and an end–of–year Barbecue. In the meantime, our priority right now is the Christmas Ball which will be one of the best yet: black–tie with a three–course meal, an open bar and music by the Camembert Quartet. This year we are encouraging people to bring a “plus one”, whether a mate or a date, scrapping the tradition of “King’s Inns students only”. In our first 24 hours we had already sold a quarter of the tickets available.

The LSDSI is one of the oldest student societies on this island. It has a time–honoured tradition but has adapted to our evolving society and legal structure. Previous Auditors have ranged from John Butler Yeats to Chief Justice Hamilton. No pressure of course. Already I love the job and the challenges it presents. I have a strong committee behind me and I couldn’t do it without them – I cannot thank them enough for their tireless work. We will be inclusive and we will be open. We know we can deliver a successful year for everyone.

Sam Deasy

Auditor, 2015–16

December 2015