From the Dublin Evening Telegraph, 10 May 1877, this story of an action brought by one Armagh solicitor against another arising out of a confrontation in the barroom of Armagh courthouse (above).

The term ‘the Bar’ in the article refers not to the Bar of Ireland, but to Armagh solicitors exercising their right of audience in Sessions cases:

“ASSAULT BY AN ATTORNEY

Master Pigott and a jury of six had before them yesterday the case of Gallagher v Cochrane, which was an action for assault.  Both parties are attorneys residing in Armagh, and the defendant having let judgment go by default, it now came for the assessment of damages.

Counsel for plaintiff – Sergeant Armstrong, Messrs. AM Porter QC, and Richard Adams, instructed by Mr. James Riordan.

Counsel for defendant – Messrs. WD Andrews QC, and J Monroe, instructed by Mr. W Hardy.

Sergeant Armstrong, in stating the plaintiff’s case, said the jury had simply to assess damages, the unwarrantable and outrageous conduct of the defendant being admitted on the record.  A grievous and insulting assault had been followed up by ignominiously flinging the plaintiff’s hat and coat out of the window of the room in which they then were into the yard outside the courthouse at Armagh, and the language accompanying this assault and the circumstances surrounding it greatly enhanced and magnified the character of offensiveness attaching to the whole transaction. 

Mr. Gallagher was a young man, about five years admitted an attorney.  He was the son of a merchant in Omagh, and for three years he practiced at Dungannon.  He then went to Armagh.  The local Bar there had drawn up resolutions with regard to the fees to be taken at sessions.  Mr. Gallagher signed an undertaking to abide by these rules, but finding that others were breaking them, he wrote a letter to the secretary of the Sessions Bar.  The breach of the rules was admitted, but the Bar resolved notwithstanding to adhere to them.  Mr. Gallagher yielded to the solicitation of two respectable professional men, and decided to again adhere to the rules.  It was not long before he discovered the rules were not being kept, and then he wrote that he would have nothing more to do with these rules. 

The Bar had a meeting, and resolved that in future they would not act with this gentleman in civil bill business.  During the January sessions Mr. Gallagher, acting for the Roman Catholic Primate of Armagh, had been successful on a stamp question.  Next day during the sessions Mr. Cochrane’s conduct was particularly offensive to Mr. Gallagher.  Mr. Cochrane was a powerful, strongly built man, with every appearance of respectability about him, rendering a disgraceful course of conduct on his part the more reprehensible.  The style of talking at Mr. Gallagher was looking at him and saying – ‘There is a word of four letters, beginning with ‘l’ and ending with ‘r’ which applies to one member of the Bar. 

During lunch time the defendant came into the room, in which the plaintiff and two solicitors – Messrs. Simpson and Johnston – were, and, speaking to the latter he introduced the subject of the Roman Catholic Primate’s case. He said – ‘There is a person in the profession fond of points on stamps, but he himself is stamped and branded with the marks of a liar.  He has broken his promises to the members of his own profession and the resolutions which he signed, and he broke them for his own aggrandizement.’  He then came over to Mr. Gallagher and called him ‘a liar, a scoundrel and a hound.’  Mr. Gallagher said – ‘Don’t dare, sir, to address me in that language; I am not interfering with you, and I don’t want to be interfered with.’  Cochrane said – ‘By G- I’ll put you out of the room!’   He then seized the plaintiff, who clung to the chimneypiece, but, losing his hold, was thrown against the table.  The other gentlemen in the room then interfered.  Subsequently Mr. Cochrane flung the plaintiff’s great coat and hat into the yard of the courthouse. 

The first action brought had been discontinued on a technical point.  After the issuing of the section action the defendant wrote a letter expressing regret for what had occurred, and offering to let the matter be arbitrated on, as the plaintiff was a Catholic, by the Most Rev. Dr McGettigan, the Lord Primate.  This, of course, could not be listened to, and the action was proceeded with.

Mr. William Gallagher was examined by Mr. Porter, QC, and deposed to the facts of the assault as stated by his counsel.

Cross-examined by Mr. Andrews – After the assault I went into court and transacted my business until the court rose; the original proceedings, in which the venue was laid in Armagh, were discontinued shortly before March; I received the following letter from Mr. Cochrane:-

‘March 5th, 1877

SIR – I have been apprised by my Dublin agent this morning that a notice of discontinuance has been served in your action against me.  This affords me an opportunity to express to you my regret for what has taken place.  I am extremely sorry for having offended a brother professional man, and hope that you will now accept my apology.  Should you not agree to this I should be willing to leave the whole matter to the determination of your Primate, the Most Rev. Dr McGettigan. – Your obedient servant,

GEORGE C. COCHRANE.’

Witness – I considered the whole letter a sneer; first it was written by his clerk, and then I think it was two late to offer an apology.

Mr. Porter read a letter to show that on February 24th Mr. Cochrane had notice that a new trial would be commenced.

Mr. Andrews opened the case for the defendant.  If the jurymen had been at many Nisi Prius trials they would have seen professional men very often disagree, and probably they would afterwards see those same men walking arm-in-arm, a conclusion they would not very much disapprove of.  Perhaps if they had been in the room when the assault occurred it would not look so terrific as it did when presented by the ability of the learned serjeant.  Mr. Gallagher got rid of the apology by saying it was a sneer and an aggravation of the offence.

Mr. George C Cochrane, examined by Mr. Monroe, said – Mr Gallagher was twisted in court; witness admitted at once that he had talked at Mr. Gallagher, and Mr. Gallagher had stated substantially what had occurred in court; witness did not rudely or violently push him from the fire in the attorneys’ room but he might have touched him; Mr. Gallagher said – ‘You should have addressed me in a respectful manner;’ witness said,-‘Is it respect for you who was branded in court as something that begins with ‘l’ and ends with an ‘r’? Mr. Gallagher said – ‘You are a liar for saying so;’ witness then took him by the collar to pull him towards the door; witness described the assault as deposed to by Mr. Gallagher; there was no sneer in the letter of March 5th, as the Most Rev. Dr McGettigan was a mutual friend of both parties; he had nothing to do with throwing the plaintiff’s hat and coat out of the window.

Cross-examined by Sergeant Armstrong – I will not swear that I read the letter of apology before it was sent; I draughted it; I would have been the first one to prevent the hat and coat being thrown out.

Sergeant Armstrong – Of course you are remarkably penitent now.

Mr. Henry Harris, senior, solicitor in Armagh, gave evidence on the subject of the Quarter Sessions Rules.

The case was then adjourned until 11 o’clock today.”

According to Saunder’s News-Letter, 11 May 1877, when the case resumed

“Mr. Monroe QC said Mr. Cochrane regretted extremely what had taken place.  Everyone who knew him was aware that he would be the last man in the profession to do an ungenerous or unkind act.  He had, unfortunately, yielded to bad temper, and was betrayed into the commission of an act which he regretted extremely…

Master Pigott briefly addressed the jury.  An assault had undoubtedly been committed.  An apology had been offered, which was not accepted, the plaintiff not believing it to e bona fide.  The jury, under the circumstances, would consider what would be a fair measure of damages.

The jury assessed the damages at 100 pounds, and 6 pence costs.”

The damages award would have been a substantial sum at the time, but at least the costs liability was kept to a minimum.

George C, Cochrane died five years later, at the young age of 46.  The Ulster Gazette described him as

“of genial manner, kindly and sympathetic in his nature, no one who knew him but appreciated his worth… few surpassed him in legal knowledge or address, and his quick wit and splendid debating powers were keenly relished.”

It was also noted that the Cochrane family had, many years previously, let the site of the Roman Catholic chapel in Armagh to trustees at a barley corn rent, which was very much appreciated by the Roman Catholic community in Armagh. The funeral was attended by every solicitor in Armagh, including Mr. Gallagher.

William Gallagher practiced as a solicitor in Armagh for many years until 1921, when he and his wife moved to Eastbourne.  He died in 1934 at the age of 85.  In an article written at the time of his death, the Armagh Guardian described him as

“one of those gentlemanly lawyers for whom Armagh – and the county – was noted, never touching speculative cases.”

The only war memorial in Armagh Roman Catholic Cathedral was erected in memory of Mr Gallagher’s son and only surviving child Captain William Augustine Gallagher, who was killed in 1915 in the battle of Neuve Chapelle.  A daughter, Eva, had died in 1890.

In 1936, the case of Gallagher v Cochrane was noted once again in the Armagh Guardian, which described it as having been “of intense interest to solicitors as well as to the public.”