The head of the 19th century Irish legal system was the Lord Chancellor of Ireland (the premier judge in the Court of Chancery), with the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland (the premier judge in the Court of King’s Bench) coming next in precedence. There followed the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in Ireland and the Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer. All were assisted by junior (puisne) judges also assigned to the relevant court.

There was also a Rolls Court run by the Lord Chancellor’s Deputy, the Master of the Rolls in Ireland. Later, there was an Admiralty Court, a Bankruptcy Court, an Encumbered/Landed Estates Court and a Probate Court. All of these had designated judges presiding over them.

The Supreme Court of Judicature (Ireland) Act 1877 converted the original four courts of Chancery, King’s Bench, Exchequer and Common Pleas into divisions of a single High Court of Justice. The 1877 Act also created a Court of Appeal in Ireland.

Following the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922, the Courts of Justice (Ireland) Act 1924 replaced the above with a new High Court and two appeal courts: a Supreme Court to deal with appeals and a Court of Criminal Appeal to hear appeals in criminal jury trials.

Stories about Irish judges may be found here.