Ruth Cannon BL, Barrister, Four Courts History
Sharing old stories from Ireland's historic centre of justice.
From the Belfast Newsletter, 15 January 1904:
“A celebrity of the Four Courts has joined the majority, and the frequenters of the Law Library will miss the stalwart form and the stentorian voice of Bramley. Every solicitor in Ireland knew Bramley. He sat as trusty sentinel at his rostrum within the portals of the Library. Nobody unless under escort of a barrister dared pass within the precincts sacred to the gentlemen of the long robe, and Bramley, like Justice, was no respecter
From the Preston Herald, 22 August 1908:
“Unless the widow of Mr Michael J Hanmore, a solicitor, late of 3, Prince of Wales Terrace, Bray, Co Wicklow, consents to enter a convent and devote the remainder of her life to prayer. His executors are instructed that she is to receive her jewellery and wearing apparel only.
This is one of the conditions governing the disposal of the testator’s fortune of which the net personalty has been sworn for probate at £7,801. It was, Mr Hanmore
From the Ballyshannon Herald, 21 June 1873:
“FATAL ACCIDENT TO A DUBLIN BARRISTER
Yesterday afternoon, after the steamship Sarmatian reached her wharf at South Quebec, a most melancholy accident occurred to Mr JS Barrett, barrister, of Dublin, a cabin passenger on his way to Toronto. He went on shore to look after the baggage of a lady passenger. Coming to the edge of the pontoon, the lady being on the dock of the steamer, he made a sign to her by waving his umbrella that all was
The occupation of the Four Courts by rebel forces in 1916 led to much anxious speculation as to the extent of the resulting destruction.
An initial gloomy report from the Northern Whig of the 1st May 1916 recounted that
“Most extensive and indeed irreparable damage has been done by the Sinn Feiners. They threw a number of the books and documents into the Liffey and tore up and burned many records which it will be impossible to replace.”
Particular ire was provoked by the discovery that the Law
From the Irish News and Belfast Morning News, 26 October 1901
“The usual monotony of the meeting of the Benchers to-day was varied by an incident which should serve as a reminder to them and to all men that the slow-going nineteenth century has come to an end, and that we are now in the full blaze of the enlightened twentieth century. A young lady, hailing rom Derry, applied to be admitted as a law student. ‘Nolumus mutari’ is the motto of the Honourable Society of King’s
