Ruth Cannon BL, Barrister, Four Courts History
Sharing old stories from Ireland's historic centre of justice.
From the Dublin Monitor, 8 August 1842, an interesting account of an action for breach of promise brought by Maria Ormsby, of North Strand, against William Supple, a member of staff in the Law Library:
“Mr P Casserly, for the Plaintiff, said that he need not tell the jury, that a person holding office in the Law Library must, to a certain extent be respectable and no matter how humble in life was the situation of his client, the injuries to her peace of mind and youthful prospects were not
From the Mail, 15 August 1906:
“DUBLIN SOLICITOR AND HIS LADY TYPISTS
In the Probate and Matrimonial Division, today, in the case of Fitzgerald v Fitzgerald, known as the Waterford matrimonial case, Mr Rice applied on behalf of the male petitioner for an order directing Mr Shannon, the solicitor on the other side, to give the male petitioner copies of certain documents, discovery of which had been obtained so far back as the 25th July last
Mr Shannon said he had some difficulty in giving them
From the Kirkaldy Times, 15 November 1882:
“A daring attempt was made to assassinate Mr Justice Lawson on Saturday night, in Dublin. He had an engagement to dine at the King’s Inn and left his house in Fitzwilliam Street for that purpose. The guard by which the judge has recently been always accompanied consisted of two members of the B division in plain clothes, and two army pensioners also in mufti. On reaching Leinster Street, the judge kept the house side, and the
A very early Irish legal story, from Pue’s Occurrences, 31 January 1719:
“About 3 quarters after 2 in the Afternoon, Mr Leigh, eldest Son of Richard Leigh Esq of the County of Westmeath, and one Mr Smith, Son to Mr Smith, at the Sun near Smithfield (who served his Time to an Attorney, and was to be Sworn an Attorney next day) Fought in the Tholsel of this City. Mr Leigh was run into the Left Breast and died in a Minute after. The same Night the Coroner’s Inquest
From the Globe, 7 May 1893:
“At about 20 minutes to 11 o’clock at night a serious explosion occurred at the Four Courts, Dublin. The substance, whatever it may have been, and it is generally believed to have been glycerine encased in a metallic vessel, was evidently thrown by some person passing along the quay, who carefully selected the time, and kept a close watch on the movements of the police.”
The scene of the explosion, visited the following day by thousands of people. was the
