New judge appointed to Meath district

Judge Éirinn McKiernan has been permanently appointed to preside over district court sittings in Meath. She will replace on the bench fellow Cavan native, the retiring Judge Cormac Dunne. The Cabinet has granted approval for the change and Judge McKiernan’s move last week.

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.

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 23rd July.

One of eight siblings to parents Frank and Margaret of Lacken, Co Cavan, Judge McKiernan was the first legal representative from the county to be called to the bench since Judge Dunne 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. She later established her own practice in 2006 at Ashe Street, Cavan Town.

Retiring 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 to occupy the bench in Cavan.