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David Goodall (diplomat)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sir Arthur David Saunders Goodall, GCMG (9 October 1931 – 22 July 2016) was a British diplomat. He was High Commissioner to India from 1987 to 1991.

Early life

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Goodall was born on 9 October 1931 in Blackpool, Lancashire.[1] His paternal grandfather was from Wexford, Ireland.[citation needed] He was educated at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire, and Trinity College, Oxford where he gained first class honours.[2]

Military service

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Goodall was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in the 1950s, he served in Kenya and Cyprus.[1]

Diplomatic career

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Goodall joined the diplomatic service in 1956 and served in Austria, Germany, Indonesia and Kenya, before spending 1987-1991 as the British High Commissioner, the equivalent of Ambassador, in India. He also spent time working in the Cabinet Office, where he helped negotiate the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement.[3]

After his retirement he was Chairman of the Leonard Cheshire Foundation, 1995–2000, and President of the Irish Genealogical Research Society, 1992–2010.[2][4]

During the 1980s, Goodall was one of the most senior British officials representing the United Kingdom negotiating with the Irish government on Northern Ireland.[5]

Goodall was a Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great (KSG).[6]

He died on 22 July 2016 at the age of 84.[7]

Art

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Goodall was taught to paint at Ampleforth College, but started to paint seriously some twenty years later after reading Winston Churchill's book Painting as a Pastime. He worked in ink and watercolour, and held one-man shows in North Yorkshire, London, Durham, Hull and Delhi. He published two books of his paintings: Remembering India (1997, Scorpion Cavendish; ISBN 978-1900269056) and Ryedale Pilgrimage (2000, Maxiprint; ISBN 978-1871125474).[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Obituary: Sir David Goodall, diplomat". The Scotsman. 2 August 2016.
  2. ^ a b "GOODALL, Sir (Arthur) David (Saunders)". Who's Who 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Sir David Goodall: Italy and India". Abbott and Holder Ltd. 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  4. ^ Goodall, David (8 May 2010). "Message from the retiring President 2010". Irish Genealogical Research Society. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  5. ^ "Sir David Goodall biodata". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016 – via cosmos.ucc.ie.
  6. ^ "Pontifical Order of Saint Gregory the Great". Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain of Pius IX, Saint Gregory and Saint Sylvester. Archived from the original on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  7. ^ "Sir David Goodall, diplomat who played a key role in the Anglo-Irish Agreement – obituary". www.telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph. 24 July 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.