Mayo barrister is appointed Circuit Court judge

LEADING Mayo barrister Eoin Garavan has been appointed a judge of the Circuit Court.

A son of Ann and the late Judge John Garavan, Pontoon Road, Castlebar, he served for a number of years as an elected member of the former Castlebar Town Council.

Mr. Garavan's appointment is one of a number of judicial appointments made by the Cabinet to fill vacancies arising due to retirements.

He is expected to take up his new role in October. Congratulations and best wishes are extended to him and his family.

Solicitor Eileen Creedon and senior counsel Charles Meenan have been nominated to fill two vacancies in the High Court. 

Ms. Creedon is the Chief State Solicitor while Mr. Meenan has practised as a senior counsel since 1998. He is a member of a well-known Dublin legal and medical family, which has long been associated with Fine Gael.

Senior counsel Pat Quinn and barrister Martina Baxter have also been nominated for the Circuit Court, and solicitor Mary Dorgan has been nominated for the District Court. Mr Quinn previously worked as barrister for the Planning Tribunal.

Brian O’Shea, a barrister, will be appointed to the District Court on June 16 when Judge Aeneas McCarthy retires.

According to The Irish Times, the appointments take place despite previous opposition to judicial appointments from the Minister for Transport Shane Ross, who refused to agree to appointments last year as he was seeking reforms of the way judges are appointed.

Minister Ross agreed a deal with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice late last year to sanction a small number of appointments on condition that the legislation for a new appointments system would be published by the end of January.