Dr. John Temple Lang

My sincerest condolences on John's passing. A super lawyer and scholar as well as being unfailingly thoughtful and warm-spirited. He will be much missed.

My sincere condolences to John’s partner and his family. John was an inspiration to me and I much appreciated his helpful advice on competition law and his excellent company. May he RIP.

Ronan Linda Leah and wider family - Sincere condolences on the passing of John RIP

Tony and Barbara Healy

Very sorry for your loss Enda. I met John a few times on Birdwatch Ireland business, for whom he was always a great benefactor. He will be sorely missed!

Sincere condolences to Enda and all the extended family on the passing of John, RIP. Many happy memories of past encounters (mostly social).

My deep condolences to the family & loved ones of John. I was a young secretary in Brussels working in DGIV in early 90s and have very fond memories of working for JTL. He was kind and generous. He often shared his knowledge and particularly his passion and care for the environment and Birds. It was always a delight to listen to him. May He Rest in Peace.

Our deep and sincere condolences to Enda and the family. John was a cherished friend and colleague and always extraordinarily kind and supportive to those starting on the European law journey. More recently we have happy memories of inspiring contributions to St Gallen and other gatherings. We have lost a dear friend and the European law world has lost one of its truly great figures.

John was first of all a wonderful friend. He framed issues and provided insight that were very helpful for writing news stories on competition policy. Of course, he never wanted to be mentioned. The dinners and other visits with John and Enda stand out because of their warmth. I will miss him.

Deepest condolences to Enda and to John’s family. John was always warm and welcoming and a true gentleman.

From the 1960s, teaching the elements of contract law to business studies students in Trinity, to the Commission and life in Brussels, JTL was always an impressive figure to me.
He was a joy to listen to and to read on any subject. The clarity (and readability) of his more recent contributions on Brexit stands in contrast to the obfuscation of its promoters - even when confronted with errant nonsense, everything that came from him was polite and rational.
Meeting him socially in Brussels, you came away conscious of his decency and niceness as well as his powerful intellect.

His was a life well lived.

I would like to extend sincere condolences to Enda Coogan and John’s family on his passing.
John was a true Titan in the field of Irish environmental conservation through his work as one of the founding fathers of the Irish Wildbird Conservancy, now BirdWatch Ireland (BWI), and as the effective architect of Ireland’s Wildlife Act. I know that he continued this work when he was with the EU and on his return to Ireland, he once again took a keen and active interest in the work of BWI.
Ar dheis Dé a raibh a hanam dílis.

As a student in the late 1980s I first encountered the insightful, pithy and surprisingly approachable writings of John Temple Lang. John was a scholar I admired profoundly from afar and I offer my deepest sympathies to his family on their loss.

John was an inspiration to those of us engaged in scholarship on competition law. His unstinting kindness to all but especially to young scholars was so encouraging. His keen interest and endless support even more so after he returned to Ireland leaves a wonderful legacy. John you will be missed.

Condolences to John’s partner and family.

I had to do a minor thesis for my MA in UCD in 1967. But I was totally lost. I hadn’t a clue where to start. After a few false starts a friend suggested I talk to John. I was very nervous but he not only put me at ease, he came up with a brilliant suggestion for my thesis. I only wish the quality of the final product matched the brilliance and simplicity of his suggestion.

I never thanked you properly John and hopefully it’s not too late if you’re listening.

My condolences to John's partner and family. Like many others in public life, I benefited greatly from his advice and erudition, always offered with great understanding and patience. He was an inspiration to policy makers and a model to be emulated. May he rest in peace.

Ronan, we are really sorry to hear of your Dad’s death..Thinking of you, Linda, Leah and all the family specially at this time. Patricia and all the Holohan family at Seapoint.

I send condolences to John’s partner and family on his sudden death. What a generous and kindly man to all he met. I will remember him fondly and with gratitude. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam uasal

John was a great man and a great scholar. I worked with him on the other side (when he was still with the Commission) and on the same side later when he had joined private practice. On either side, his intellectual honesty and ability was striking. He was one of the first competition law scholars to explore the complex world of joint ventures and the thorny relationship between antidumping practice and antitrust law. We will all miss him.

My deepest sympathies to John's family. He was incredibly kind to all the young Irish lawyers in Brussels and I'm still following his career advice and reading his off-prints to this day. I was always struck by his generosity with his time and his knowledge. A true gentleman as well as an intellectual giant.
Ar dheist Dé ar a anam.

Deepest sympathy

It is extremely sad to hear of John's passing. When I came to Brussels in 1978 as a stagiaire, and subsequently as a lawyer in the competition policy and social policy directorates, he was a friend, guide and mentor to me. Like so many others, I benefited greatly from his help and friendly advice. I will always think of his friendly smile and kindly wit.

In addition to the huge loss to his family and friends, John's death will be felt keenly by Birdwatch Ireland. I first met him at a BWI conference and his concern for birds and the environment was evident to all. I feel so privileged to have known him. Sincere sympathy to all his family.

My sympathy to all John's family on their great loss. John was a true pioneer of EU Law . I remember with gratitude his kindness to me when starting practice in McCann FitzGerald in 1973 and later during visits to Brussels. May he rest in peace

Dear Enda:

John was a gentleman and a scholar, and we have been so lucky to have had a chance to get to know him. I will cherish the years I worked with him, his clarity of insight and expression, his energy, and the sheer strength of personality. He was a wonderful teacher and colleague. He placed his indelible mark on the law, the ideal of European integration and cooperation, and on the many people he met on the journey. May the light perpetual shine upon him.

We wish you strength!
Maurits and Erika

Condolences to John's family. He was a great person to meet in Brussels and to talk over the benefits of competition policy. May Enda, Ronan, Caitriona, and Duncan be consoled in their sad loss..

On behalf of my colleagues at UCC School of Law I wanted to send our condolences to John's family. He was a man of immense wit and wisdom and will be much missed. May he rest in peace.

We are very shocked to learn of John's sudden death and send our deep condolences to Enda and to all his family. I knew John when we were both undergraduates in Trinity in the Fifties so our friendship, both in Dublin and in Brussels, is of long duration. Sadly, COVID put a stop to our evening meals with John and Enda. Our regrets are inexpressible, and we can only imagine the grief of Enda and all his family - all love to them.

I met John through my friendship with Enda Cogan. I would see John during my visits to Marlborough Road and found him to be a fascinating conversationalist, quick to smile and generous with his time. He had a superb mind combined with a humility that is all too rare. I am glad to have known him and only wish there had been more of it. I will miss him. My deepest condolences to Enda..

Sincere condolences to Ronan, Linda, Leah and all the family. May John rest in peace.

.My sympathy to John's family. He was a good friend for many years and we particularly shared a high regard for our Irish birds and the need for rheir protection . He was especially supportive during my time as BirdWatch chairman in the mid 1980s..

I was John’s Secretary many years ago. I was always in awe of his brilliance, though he wore it lightly. He was a wonderful boss, a gentleman, principled, kind and generous. He is somebody that I am very grateful to have known. He always spoke very fondly of his three children so I send them my condolences.

Dear Enda, we are very sorry to hear about John, we have fond memories of times spent together in Brussels & Uccle. Our sincerest condolences to you and to your families. May John rest in peace.

Deepest condolences to Ronan, Linda & all the family at this very difficult time.
Rest In Peace John.

Like many others, I benefitted greatly from John’s advice of EU legal and constitutional issues. His talent and thoroughness contributed immensely to the influence Ireland gained in Brussels. He and his like will be hard to replace.

My sincere condolences to Johns family on his sad passing. John Temple Lang was a trail blazer in Europe and his intellect, good humour and work ethic made Ireland proud . It was always a pleasure to be in Johns company, he will be missed.

My sincerest condolences to the family of Dr. Temple Lang on his passing. John was a patron of the Irish Environmental Law Association and during my tenure as Chairperson he was extremely encouraging and engaged, and always supportive of the Association. We benefited from his incredible knowledge and dedication to our aims, and he will be sorely missed by us. May he rest in peace.

Our deepest sympathy to Enda and all of John's family and friends. John left a lasting imprint on EU Competition law and was someone I looked up to as a Commission official.
He was always a pleasure to meet and chat with.
After Mass on Sunday at St Anthony's in Brussels-- over a coffee-- John had a list of great birdwatching sites to visit -within striking distance of Brussels.
Fly high now-John and rest in peace.

I first met John in 1964. We talked about Common Market law and the embryonic legal system that was evolving. He had a book coming out on the subject and i was taking a course on the subject in Harvard Law School. Over the next half-century our paths crossed frequently at conferences, colloques etc. When i began to teach a course on European Law in UCC in the late 1960's i recruited John as my External Examiner. In that role he proved to be a wise counsellor and a reliable guide.
His advice, whenever sought,was generously and honestly given with no ambiguities; his comments were always offered in a positive spirit. A courteous gentleman and a rigorous scholar, those who knew him well will remember his dry wit and his wry smile.
Sincere condolences to Enda and all the family.
BryanMcMahon.

I am so sorry to hear of John' passing. I first met John in my travels over and back to Brussels nearly 20 years ago. We always shared a meal whenever we were in Dublin or Brussels. It was a privilege to keep up the friendship after his return to Dublin and serve with him as a Director of the Irish Centre for European Law.
A man of powerful intellect and insightful knowledge of European Law. He believed in sharing his knowledge, so generously to anyone who asked with kindness and humility. He gave of his time freely to the countless seminars and conferences he attended. While in practice in Brussels John was a good friend to Ireland.
John Temple Lang:- a true gentleman, a generous host, mentor and scholar and I will miss him sorely. My sincere condolences.

As a student, EU competition law practitioner, and then colleague of John at Cleary, I am deeply saddened by his sudden death. I always admired his real passion for the Law, Competition Law in particular, which he helped shape and enforce, his incredible dedication and energy. I will also always remember walking with him in the woods in Burgundy pointing out to me all the bird species he could hear. His voice and his hearty laughter still resonate in my mind. My deepest sympathy to Enda and John's family.
Antoine Winckler

We have all been deeply saddened by the news of John’s passing away. He was not only an accomplished lawyer and pioneer of EU competition law, respected and acknowledged by all, but also a great and beloved mentor to generations of young lawyers at Cleary Gottlieb. I had the privilege to benefit from his advice for my first articles and appearances in court and cannot express the debt of gratitude I owe him. His deep and so recognizable voice, which gave so much force to his thoughts, was one of passion for due process and the practice of the law, intellectual integrity, and immense kindness. We will greatly miss him. All my heartfelt condolences to Enda and his relatives and friends.

Sincere Sympathy to Enda and John 's family on his passing.
May John Rest In Peace.

I am so sorry to hear this sad news. He was a monumental figure in the history of the European movement and in recent years an elegant figure to be seen around us here in Donnybrook. Emer and I send our deepest condolences.

My condolences to John's family on his passing..
I knew him when he was in the Department of Finance and he was a fine colleague. RIP.

I was so sorry to hear of John’s death. I have known him since 1983 when he welcomed me to the Legal Service of the European Commission. He immediately constituted himself my mentor and was full of enthusiasm and encouragement. I continued to see him regularly after he left the Legal Service for DG IV ( as it then was), and subsequently when he was in private practice. I have seen less of him since he returned to Ireland, but on every occasion when we have met, he has been the essence of kindliness and charm. My deepest sympathies to Enda and his children.

I first met John in 2000, when he joined Cleary Gottlieb to practice competition law after a distinguished career at the European Commission. For a young lawyer finding his way in Brussels, John was an icon -- incredibly knowledgeable, generous with his time and brilliance, fearless in his approach, and unfailingly kind. He told you what the law was and then what he thought it should be. He was a wonderful teacher, colleague, and friend, advising clients and mentoring practitioners and students well into his '80s. I will miss his enthusiasm, intellect, elegance, formidable spirit, gentle modesty, and deep voice. He lived a rich and full life, left an extraordinary legacy of legal scholarship, and was a wonderful man. Condolences to all his loved ones. May he rest in peace.

Heartfelt condolences to Enda and all the Family.
It is a privilege to have known John.
Rest in peace.
Irene and Ibrahim

I am truly saddened to learn of this. John was a pioneer in the study of European Union law and his enthusiasm for the subject was infectious. He set very high standards for anyone who followed in his footsteps. With the possible exceptions of Peter Sutherland and John Cooke, no other Irish person has made such a contribution to the development of EU competition law and practice. What a remarkable and gifted man.

It is a real shock to hear of John's passing. A larger than life presence, with the most memorable voice and laugh, John always had lots to say and not just in relation to competition law. Unfailingly kind to students and fellow emigrants from the Emerald Isle, he was a formidable adversary in law. May he rest in peace.

In my capacity as General Director of the Directorate General for Competition in the European Commission in Brussels and on behalf of all of us, former colleagues of John in DG COMP, I would like to pay tribute to the outstanding contribution that John Temple Lang made to European Competition Policy throughout the numerous years during which he served in what was then called DG IV. John was one of these pioneers who built the European Competition Policy and made it the powerful tool that it is nowadays. I first met John in the mid 90's as I was a young newcomer in DG COMP, and he was already a most respected senior manager. I do remember him as a bright and sharp legal mind and a formidable team leader. He has been a role model for generation of young officials in the Competition Directorate. After he left the Commission, John continued the same fight for competition in the internal market in private practice. he did it with the intellectual brightness and the elegance that were his trademark. This is how John will be remembered in DG COMP: bright, sharp and elegant. We will miss you.

I was very sorry to read this news. John was a true leader in his field, and a wonderful man. My condolences to his family.

Our sincere condolences to Caitríona & family on the passing of your Dad John.May he rest in peace!
Our thoughts & prayers are with you at this sad time.

Our deepest sympathy to Caitríona & family on the passing of your Dad John. May he rest in peace.

John gave me my first start in the European Commission when he recruited me as his Assistant and then encouraged me - a non-lawyer - to take on and deal with many complex Competition Law cases. He was always kind and supportive and I greatly appreciated his dry sense of humour and his belief in my abilities. RIP.

I am so sorry about John. I have known him for many decades and he encouraged me to go in to teaching - which i did in the end! Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
Norah

My sympathy to John's family. He was a co-founder of the Irish Wildbird Conservancy in 1970 - now BirdWatch Ireland - and he was lifelong advocate for the protection and wellbeing of our Irish birds. Always a pleasure to meet at bird conferences and other such occasions.

Our condolences to Enda and all family members grieving John’s sudden passing. We met regularly as fellow parishioners of St Anthony’s parish in Kraainem. Alma traded stories with John as they hailed from the same area of Carlow/Wexford. He had a great intellect and he personally contributed to the development of a body of EU law the value of which is only now being appreciated. He will be remembered for his kind, calm demeanour and his generosity of spirit. RIP.

John was an inspiring figure to younger colleagues in the European Commission. He leaves an indelible mark on competition law through his contributions as a lawyer, regulator and scholar. Condolences to his loved ones. RIP

Sincere sympathy and condolences to Enda and Johns family on Johns recent death he was a gentleman and may his soul rest in peace

My heartfelt condolences to John's family and Enda.
Unfortunately I only had the pleasure of knowing John a short time.
My thoughts and prayers are with all who knew and loved him. RIP