Dr Niamh Howlin Book Launch in the Supreme Court
Pictured (l to r) Mr Justice Maurice Collins, Rev. Robert D. Marshall, Judge Paul Kelly, Chief Justice Donal O'Donnell, Dr Donal K. Coffey, Dr Niamh Howlin, Mr Daire Hogan, Dr Kevin Costello, Dr Mark Coen, Dr Róisín Costello, Mr Justice Gerard Hogan and Dr Tom Mohr
The launch of ”A Century of Courts, The Courts of Justice Act 1924", edited by Dr Niamh Howlin, took place in late November. Unusually, the launch was held in the Supreme Court itself with many of the judiciary, including the Chief Justice, present.
The book is a compilation of contributions to a conference held in Dublin Castle in April 2024, which marked the centenary of The Courts of Justice Act 1924. It includes papers from legal scholars, historians and members of the judiciary.
Dr Howlin on the Supreme Court bench with the Chief Justice (centre) and Mr Justice Maurice Collins
The launch of the book in the Supreme Court concluded a programme of events organised by the Courts Service and Judiciary in a collaboration between the Courts Service, An Post, University College Dublin, UCD Sutherland School of Law, the Office of Public Works; the Irish Legal History Society and the contributing authors. The authors who contributed to this prestigious volume were:
Dr Thomas Mohr; Mr Justice Maurice Collins; Mr Evan McGuigan; Dr Mark Coen; Dr Bláthna Ruane SC; Mr Daire Hogan, Prof Laura Cahillane, Mr Robert Marshall; Dr Kevin Costello; Judge Patricia Ryan; Mr Justice David Barniville; Chief Justice Donal O'Donnell; Mr Justice Gerard Hogan; Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh; Dr Róisín Á Costello BL; Dr Lynsey Black; Dr Danielle Jefferis; Prof Brice Dickson; Prof Hilary Biehler; Dr Donal Coffey; Judge Paul Kelly and Prof Diarmaid Ferriter.
The front cover of the volume features an image from the Irish Architectural Archive of the proposed new Supreme Court from the TJ Byrne collection. The book is available to purchase from (opens in a new window)Four Courts Press.
The Dublin Castle Conference in April included guided tours showing where the courts of justice sat in Dublin Castle for several years following the destruction of the Four Courts. Attendees were shown the rooms where the various courts sat in the 1920s. An Post launched commemorative stamps for the centenaries of both the Courts of Justice Act 1924 and the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924.
One element of the multimedia visual exhibition was ‘Judicial Attire in the Free State’, a series of panels put together by UCD and the Courts Service. This showcased two sets of colourful designs for judicial robes which were ultimately not adopted in the 1920s, but which demonstrate the creative possibilities of the period. The first set was designed by well-known portrait artist Charles Shannon, the second set was designed by the Dun Emer Guild.
The Exhibition took place in the Round Hall of Dublin Castle