Cavan woman appointed to Meath bench

Judge Éirinn McKiernan has been permanently appointed to preside over district court sittings in neighbouring Co Meath.

She will replace on the bench fellow Cavan native, the retiring Judge Cormac Dunne, in line with Government policy that requires judges to retire upon reaching their 70th birthday.

Cabinet granted approval for the change and Judge McKiernan’s move last week (Wednesday, July 24).

In 2018 Judge McKiernan was one of five new judges appointed, filling the vacancy which arose following the untimely death of the late Judge Gráinne O’Neill from Athlone.

The mother-of-two from Lacken originally received her nomination by the president to the district court, Judge Rosemary Horgan, before it was officially signed off by then Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD. She has been presiding at district courts in Co. Louth since 2019, and her final day on the bench there was at Dundalk District Court on Tuesday, July 23.

Her appointment is not expected to be formally announced by the Government Information Service until the autumn at the earliest.

One of eight siblings to parents Frank and Margaret, Judge McKiernan was the first local legal representative to be called to the bench since Judge Dunne himself was appointed as a judge of the district court in 2002.

Judge McKiernan, a solicitor with over 20 years’ experience prior to her elevation, started off working Dublin based firm Smith Foy and Partners in 1999, the senior partner of which, the late Kevin Smith, has family connections to Con Smith’s bar in Butlersbridge.

Judge McKiernan later established her own practice in 2006 at Ashe Street, Cavan Town.

Judge Dunne, from Butlersbridge and a past pupil of St Patrick’s College, practised as principal at Dunne Ryan Solicitors in Cavan Town until 2002 when he was appointed to the district court bench.

The father of two studied at the Incorporated Law Society from 1972 to 1976 when he qualified as a solicitor. He was employed in Cavan as a solicitor until 1978 when he founded a practice in his own name.

He continued as a sole practitioner until 1989 when he was joined by Michael Ryan as Partner.

Before becoming a judge he served as Chairman of Cavan Rehabilitation Committee (1977-80) and was a founder President of Our Lady of the Wayside Conference of St. Vincent de Paul, Cavan (1980-84). He was also President of Cavan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (1992-95), while at national level he was a member of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (1992-97) as well as a member of the Legal Aid Board, Cavan County Enterprise Board Valuation Committee and the Environmental Protection Committee of Cavan County Council.

In 2002 he was appointed to the Special Criminal Court, established by the Oireachtas to deal with terrorism and offences against the State.

Before the permanent appointment of Meath man Judge Raymond Finnegan to District Number 5 (Cavan-Monaghan) following the sudden death of Judge Denis McLoughlin, Judge Dunne was one of several local members of the judiciary, along with Magheracloone native Judge Gerry Jones and Judge Alan Mitchell from Longford, to occupy the bench in Cavan.