Ruth Cannon BL, Barrister, Four Courts History
Sharing old stories from Ireland's historic centre of justice.
From the Freeman’s Journal, 1 September 1890:
“Modern text books now enable practitioners to dispense with much memorised learning laboriously acquired in former days… Within the recollection of men still living the library at the Four Courts did not exist, and it was considered a breach of etiquette to bring a law book into court, the judges being supposed to know all the cases on the mere names being cited. Nowadays the multiplication of reports has compelled Bench and
From Saunders’ Newsletter, October 1835:
“SIR – I beg, through the medium of your valuable Paper, to again call the attention of the Commissioners of the Paving Board to the intolerable nuisance, which has been so long suffered to continue in Pill Lane. Nearly from the corner of Arran Street to that of Charles Street, stands of putrid fish, tripes &c., are in the street, and on the flagging, to the great annoyance of passengers, particularly during the law term, when
From Saunders’ Newsletter, 3 July 1853:
“The spectator in the Hall of the Four Courts may, if it pleases, sometimes see, in his costume, a tall, portly looking young man whose history is about as romantic as that of any learned gentleman in the Four Courts.
Mr Wall… before his admission to the Bar… was remarkable for a monastic disposition. His confessor was a Franciscan friar. He had frequently heard him speak of the excellence of his order, and been commended
From the Freeman’s Journal, 13 May 1865:
“The general half-year meeting of the Attorneys and Solicitors’ Society was held yesterday in the Solicitors Hall, Four Courts [now the Law Library]… to consider the propriety of giving a half-holiday each Saturday to their employees.
Mr Molloy observed that the early closing movement had been carried out in Dublin with great success. The merchants of the city had generally adopted it, and he did not see why they should be
The position of Lord Chief Justice, accorded to the most senior judge of the Queen’s Bench, did not bring good luck to the first such office-holder to sit in Court 1.
Lord Kilwarden, by all accounts a decent and humane man, was set upon, stabbed and killed in 1803 while driving to a Privy Council meeting in the midst of the Emmet Rebellion. Even worse, his terrified horses then returned at a gallop to his home, Newlands Cross, Clondalkin, where Lady Kilwarden met the empty coach.
Such
