Ruth Cannon BL, Barrister, Four Courts History
Sharing old stories from Ireland's historic centre of justice.
From the Freeman’s Journal, 19 June 1871:
“TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMAN
DEAR SIR – [D]uring the discussion before of the House of Commons of the Alliance Gas Bill, your reporter… has omitted both the names of Mr O’Hara and myself from the list of counsel retained against the bill. And further, in the report of the Tramways Bill on Friday, my name was also omitted, although I cross-examined and examined several witnesses on behalf of the prosecutors of
From the Belfast News-Letter, 14 March 1884:
“Miss Lillie Tyndall, a young lady of prepossessing appearance, the daughter of a well-to-do farmer outside Arklow [was] charged with having thrown a bottle of… vitriol into the face of [Mr John Kelly Toomey, a well-known solicitor].
[Information sworn by Mr Toomey, from hospital] Lillie Tyndall came to my office… asked me to write a letter that I had no intimacy with her beyond a business acquaintance… to get paper I turned
From the Belfast News-Letter, 21 July 1898:
“Kingstown regatta opened today in ideal weather – bright sunshine and a fair sailing breeze… Sympathy was felt for Mr Justice Boyd, whose fine yacht, Thalia, was competing, while he himself, anxious to be on board, had to sit administering justice in the Four Courts… between four executive creditors and a claimant as to the title of certain goods seized.”
Yachting, a very popular summer pastime for the Irish Bar, often
From the Dublin Morning Register, 20 December 1836:
“Garret Moran and James Doolin, two nice-looking young lads, were next brought up, charged with drunkenness and disturbing the peace.
The watchman stated that he found them fighting in the yard of the Four Courts.
Moran declared that he had a situation there, and could go in and out when he liked; that when he was going in on Saturday night he met Doolin in the yard talking to some women and that without saying more he knocked him down.
The
The Christmas of 1893 was a very sad one for the Law Library. It started in early December when no less than nine members of the Bar went down with typhoid. This was quickly followed by the news that one of the afflicted, Martin Burke QC, had lost his battle with the disease and passed on at his residence in Baggot Street.
The tragic death of this very young and popular silk of exceptional musical talent resulted in a belated realisation that the then Law Library premises – a
