AS poet Eavan Boland said, it was both a happy and a sad occasion. At the launch of Gus Martin's collection of essays on Thursday night in Newman House, the hugely popular academic was so much to the forefront of people's minds and reminiscences that he seemed to be present. His widow Claire and literary executor Maurice Manning were there as well as several UCD colleagues including the college's President Art Cosgrove, Andrew Carpenter and Stephen Mennell, chairman of the newly established UCD Press.
David Andrews, who introduced the book, Bearing Witness, told some moving anecdotes stretching, back to their schooldays when Gus was House Captain and David was Prefect. He also complimented Claire for urging her husband to "print what he spoke". As a reminder of how Gus had an impact on nearly all school going children in this country as well as UCD students, his book Soundings - the poetry anthology on the Leaving Cert curriculum was propped up on the grand mantlepiece in the room.