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
IN HIS FINAL speech on the bench at Ennis District Court, Judge Joseph Mangan asked for forgiveness of anyone he wronged or anyone who suffered as a result of his actions over the years.
After telling listeners twice that he was overwhelmed by the tributes, he said that he was seeking “forgiveness to anyone I may have wronged or anyone who suffered through any mistake I made during my time on the bench. I appreciate that forgiveness might not be readily forthcoming but that’s not to stop me seeking it”.
“I’m overwhelmed by these plaudits. I’m at a loss to know what I’ve done to deserve them,” he said, as he prepared to bid farewell to a career as District Court Judge.
The career spanned almost 30 years; 17 and a half of which were spent travelling around the country, before he was appointed to his native Clare in 2001.
During that time, he came across people from all walks of life and, in his farewell speech, he didn’t forget any of those. From court clerks, to gardaí, to prison service staff, to the caretakers of Ennis Courthouse to solicitors, to probation service staff, to traffic wardens, to the media – there were words for everyone.
He had a particular word of praise for retired caretaker of Ennis Court- house, Ned Monahan, and said he was “particularly pleased” to see Ned in attendance in the packed courtroom. He also had high praise for Ned’s successor, Seamus Mullane, who is the current caretaker.
He said he had “nothing but the best of memories” of gardaí who served in the Clare district and paid special tribute to those who prosecuted courts in front of him. “You never see an inspector at a photo call but when things go wrong they are the ones who get the flak,” he said.
He said that the State Solicitor for Clare, Martin Linnane, adopted a “passionate and common sense way” in dealing with prosecutions, “never seeking a pound of flesh”. He said that solicitors in Clare have adopted a “standard of advocacy that is second to none in this country”. He said he was particularly flattered that eight judges turned up to wish him well and said that recently retired Judge Michael Patwell had been a huge support to him over the years.
In reference to Judge Eamon O’Brien, who has sat at Ennis Court on occasions in recent years, Judge Mangan said, “You could be seeing more of Eamon in the future. I don’t know what the odds are but I think they are better than Dana!”
He said that the Clare District was unique in that there have only ever been four judges appointed – Judges Dermot Gleeson, Gordon Hurley, Al O’Dea and himself.
He described the court clerks as the “unsung heroes” of this court, who, “do all the donkey work” and like garda inspectors rarely appear in front of the cameras but pick up the pieces when things go wrong. He paid tribute to his wife Susan and four children for their support over the years.
Thanking all who attended for the occasion, he stood up for the last time at 4.05pm on Friday. Showing emotion and trembling and with a pile of retirement cards in his hand, he rose for the last time and walked quietly to the judge’s chambers. It was the end of a memorable career on the bench.