This article is from page 16 of the 2011-10-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
RETIRED Judge Joseph Mangan’s reputation is “bordering on the legendary”, is a “rare intellect”, with a “mind like an encyclopedia”.
As warm tributes were paid to the District Court Judge, who sat in court in Ennis for the last time on Friday, his love of literature, general knowledge, foreign languages and Gaelic games were remembered.
The 66-year-old, who is from Kilmihil, announced on Thursday that he was going to retire the following day, after a 27-year career as a judge. Despite the short notice, colleagues from across the country travelled to Ennis Courthouse for his farewell on Friday afternoon.
The judge, who was appointed to the bench in 1983, has been the presiding judge in Clare since July 2001. During that time, he has sat at Ennis District Court, along with the courts across the county and in Gort, Athenry and Kinvara in Galway. He was one of the country’s longest-serving judges.
Among those in attendance included eight judges, many of who had worked closely with Judge Mangan over the years. They were Judges Tom O’Donnell, Gerard Haughton, Aeneas McCarthy, Gerard Furlong, David Riordan, Michael Patwell (retired), Eamon O’Brien and Tim Lucey.
Judge O’Donnell, who sat in Limerick for several years prior to his appointment as Circuit Judge earlier this year, referred to Judge Mangan as a “wonderful colleague and good friend”. He recalled how when he was appointed a judge, “he marked my card and told me what to do and how to behave”.
“His reputation is bordering on the legendary,” said Judge O’Donnell.
Judge Aeneas McCarthy, who sits in Ennis District Court on occasions, said Judge Mangan is “certainly a rare intellect” with a wide variety of knowledge. He said he always has a “constructive contribution to make”. “He is extremely interesting to have a pint with and is great company,” he said.
Judge Michael Patwell recalled looking at Judge Mangan “with fear and trepidation” when he was practising as a solicitor, but that he later became his “unofficial mentor” when he was appointed a judge in 1990.
He said that Judge Mangan has a “mind like an encyclopedia” and quipped that if anyone is ever on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, the ideal friend to phone is Joseph Mangan.
“It’s amazing what the man knows and the languages he can try his hand at,” he said.
County Registrar Pat Wallace told the judge that his day in the sunset has come and said, “You always maintained your independence and free spirit”.
Solicitor Brian McMahon, on behalf of the legal profession, said he was always treated with the “utmost courtesy” by the judge. “Being a judge now in the District Court is very trying and testing. You have handled all of that without fear or favour,” he said.
State Solicitor for Clare, Martin Linnane, noted that the judge was strict in his application of the 42-day rule for completion of Books of Evidence, adding, “I thought you could have at least given us 42 days’ notice!”
“You have shown great patience to many solicitors who go on at length,” he told the judge.
Chief Superintendent John Kerin said the role of the District Court Judge is “complex and difficult” and said that in the face of an increasing workload, the judge treated everyone fairly, “regardless of their standing or background in society”.
Owen Ryan of the Probation Service in Clare and Bill Hamill of the HSE, also paid tribute to the judge, as did the President of the Clare Law Association, Mairead Doyle and Brendan McDonald of the Courts Service.
Mr McDonald said that Judge Mangan had “seen more change than any judge in the country”.
Chief Court Clerk in Ennis, Josephine Tone said she and her staff would be sorry to see the judge retire.
“He never let himself be compromised or influenced. He was always impartial and fair. He had a social con- science, showed sensitivity and was caring for those with addictions or on the margins of society,” she said. He said that the judge always thought long and hard before distributing the proceeds of the court poor box to various organisations every year “for the betterment of the people of Clare”.
“He was always available for courts at any hour of the day or night,” she said. Ms Tone also paid tribute to his wife Susan who she said was always “pleasant and hospitable” to court clerks who called to the house in the course of their work.