CLARE’S new District Court Judge has led the tributes to his former student, Eugene O’Kelly.
Mr O’Kelly, a West Clare solicitor, was last week appointed as a District Court Judge by the Government.
It is expected that Mr O’Kelly will serve in Limerick.
At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, as news broke of Mr O’Kelly’s appointment, Judge Patrick Durcan paid tribute to his former student.
Judge Durcan, who was a lecturer of Mr O’Kelly at University College Galway, said he had been delighted to learn of the appointment.
Judge Durcan said Mr O’Kelly had been a “brilliant student”. He added that the bench will be “enlivened and enriched by someone of his capacity”. He said the fact that Mr O’Kelly was being assigned to Limerick illustrated the high degree of faith and trust that exists in him.
Mr O’Kelly thanked Judge Durcan for his words. He said he was “honoured and delighted” by the appointment. Speaking at the Ennis office of his law practice on Thursday, Mr O’Kelly said he was “stunned” when he received a phonecall from the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, informing him of his appointment.
He added, “It’s a great honour for me, my family, Kilrush and West Clare.”
The Kilrush native qualified from University College Galway in 1981. He joined the legal practice of Aylmer O’Doherty and worked with him until his retirement in 1990.
After practicing on his own, he took on a partner, Patrick Moylan, five years ago. O’Kelly Moylan Solicitors now has offices in Kilrush and Ennis.
Mr O’Kelly said, “I would not have accepted the post if I thought my clients were going to suffer. I have every confidence that I am leaving the practice in very good hands under the direction of Patrick Moylan.”
Mr O’Kelly has worked on many high-profile cases. He represented Ennis woman Sharon Collins in the ‘hitman for hire’ case. He said, “I will forever be associated with the high-profile cases but the smaller cases will always be as important.”
The 58-year-old lives near Kilkee with his wife Felicity. He is the father of two children. His son Eoghan works with a legal firm in New York, while daughter Aoiffe is an architect in Sydney.
Mr O’Kelly, who has previously spoken out against the closure of rural courthouses, is also a passionate landscape photographer.
He is looking forward to the next stage of his legal career. “I am apprehensive but not nervous knowing that there is an enormous responsibility to the court and the office of the court.”