Barristers in Ireland

An evolving profession since 1921

Niamh Howlin

"This book considers various aspects of the profession of barrister in Ireland. It is timely in that it encapsulates the evolution of the practice, side by side with the development of the new state, from 1921 onwards ... In a very interesting chapter, the author examines the working lives of barristers, from their professional attire to the nature of the work undertaken. The book portrays the unvarnished truth of the difficulties of making a living at the Bar ... The book sets out in some details the 'camaraderie' and 'communal life' of the practising barrister on circuit ... Posterity owes a debt of gratitude to Dr Howlin, for without her painstaking research the stories and meanderings of a variety of practitioners would have been lost with the passage of time. This research is vital not only to underpin the basis of the work and aid its credibility but also to add colour and animation to the characters and events. This is an excellent book and will be of interest not only to lawyers but also to anyone interested in the development of the Irish state from its foundation and the impact which one professional body had on its evolution." James Meighan, History Ireland, May/June 2024

“This book is the history of the ‘senior’ branch of the legal profession from 1921 to the turn of the millennium … Although the memoirs of famous, successful barristers are extensively referenced, the day-to-day life and career progress of practitioners is illustrated and fleshed out successfully by the infuriatingly but probably necessarily anonymous interviews with barristers past and present. These confessions paint a picture of the exhilarating highs and devastating lows of a career at the Bar, which are unfamiliar to anyone who has never attempted to be a barrister … this fascinating study [is] … the perfect gift for practitioners or anyone thinking of a career as one.” Vandra Dyke, the Sunday Independent, 19 November 2023.