First 100 Women on the Roll of Solicitors Honoured

This year marks the centenary of the first women admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in Ireland. The Law Society are exhibiting photos of as many of the woman as possible in Blackhall Place.

However, the Law Society is missing a photograph of a good number of these pioneering women and there is a call out to the profession for assistance in collecting some of these outstanding photos.

At present, the Law Society does not have a photograph of the following first 100 women on the Roll of Solicitors: Dorothea Mary Brown (Cork); Maureen McDowell (Dublin); Annie J. Smyth (Monaghan); Adelaide M. Quin (Louth); Mary Emily Smith (Dublin); Doreen Sarah Gillespie (Monaghan); Gladys Lallah Tallan (Louth); Margaret Mary Gibbons (Offaly); Aine Mary Reid (Dublin); Kathleen Ryan (Tipperary); Mary Rossario Gleeson (Tipperary); Fionnguala O’Beirn (Galway); Mary Lohan (Galway); Maureen A. Hawthorne (Dublin);

Pauline Eugenie Laverty (Longford); Mary J. O’Neill (Dublin); Margaret M. Dunne (Meath); Mary T. McCarroll (Kildare); Maire O’Neill (Dublin); Margaret Carey (Kerry); Una Mary Treacy (Limerick); Moira Flynn (Leitrim); Mary Frances O’Connor (Cork); Liadain MacErlean (Dublin); Dora C.M. Corrigan (Dublin); Elizabeth Kettle (Dublin); Moira O’Sullivan (Galway); Maureen French (Wexford); Mary Geraldine O’Leary (Kildare); Brigid Hogan (Galway); Maureen Hannon (Westmeath); Adeline G.J. Hyland (Dublin); Constance Mary Campbell (Mayo); Eileen M. Forde (Roscommon); Mary Brigid Cahalan (Dublin); Mary Winifred Eleanor Thornton (Mayo); Mary Josephine MacClancy (Clare); Kathleen Mary O’Kane (Dublin); Joan N. Macauley (Kerry); Mary Joseph Brennan (Kerry); Eileen O’Reilly (Galway); Marguerite S. Meagher (Cork); Cecilia Hurley (Dublin); Meadbh Ni Uadhaigh (Dublin); Anna Elizabeth Egan (Galway); Mary O’Reilly

Due to feedback from the profession, on a trial basis which commenced in early July, there will be a walk-in system available in the Central Office. This is a system which will not require an appointment. The Central Office has advised that there are 206 appointments per week which are no shows where the people booking the appointments do not cancel them. This represents 41 appointments per day which are wasted. If the walk-in desk is to be a success, practitioners must remember to cancel appointments where necessary.

The list room has a full complement of staff and is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM. It is closed from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. The list room does not require appointments. Practitioners knock on the door and are allowed in to file papers. If there’s an urgent matter during lunchtime, the Courts Service have indicated that the person or persons on duty at the Central Office next door will take the papers.

Court of Appeal

From the 7th July 2023, the Court of Appeal office will operate a system on an appointment basis with one desk specifically reserved for walk-ins.

Huggard (Cork); Mary Teresa Barry (Dublin); Carmel Early (Dublin); Mary Monica McFadden (Donegal); Blathnaigh Ui Uadhaigh (Dublin); Margaret H. Walsh (Dublin); Mary Teresa O’Connor (Dublin); Pauline O’Donovan (Cork); Mary Catherine Hughes (Dublin); Ellen Florence Mary Beatty (Dublin); Margaret E. Hayes (Limerick) and Sheila B. McCrann (Roscommon).

The exhibition of photographs and details of the First 100 Women on the Roll of Solicitors will be a permanent exhibition at the Law Society and a version of this exhibition will also be placed in the Solicitors’ Building of the Four Courts. In addition, the exhibition will be included as part of the first Opening of the Legal Year Celebrations to be held on 3rd October 2023 at the Four Courts.

If you can assist on any of the missing photographs, please contact: memberservices@LawSociety.ie.

The Central Office has advised that judgments are now taking three weeks to process.

After some technological glitches, the posting of Circuit and High Court rules will now be updated on a regular basis on courts.ie.

Barra O Cochlain, DSBA Litigation Committee