Andrew Carey
LIMERICK is no longer “criminally violent” according to a newly appointed High Court judge who said that describing it as such was “ill deserved”.
During his last sitting at Limerick Circuit Court this week, Judge Carroll Moran made his comments regarding the Treaty City where he has sat as a judge for almost 12 years adding that it is “now a peaceful place”.
Recalling his years in Limerick, Judge Moran described how the landscape of the city and county has changed s”once he first came to the city In Christmas 2002
“I was assigned as a Judge to the circuit, the a position I have had had the privilege of holding for the past 12 years,” explained the Judge describing it as “the happiest time in my working life on the best circuit in the State”.
But it was to the fractious history the city had experienced in the past that Judge Moran noted as having changed the most during his tenure at the bench.
“I want to take the opportunity to emphasis the reputation of Limerick as a criminally violent city is particularly ill-deserved,” said Judge Moran who added that it was like “giving a dog a bad name.
“Limerick is not a criminally violent place. Limerick now is a peaceful place. For example, as far as I can ascertain there has only been one homicide in Limerick since January 2013 and that’s almost two years”.
By way of contrast the news from Dublin is one of continues murder and mayhem only recently in the news last night
He said in Limerick one can walk O’Connell Street and through the side streets in “comparative safety”.
The same he added, can not be said about the similarly named main street in Dublin.
Judge Moran added that one of the reasons for the success in Limerick has been “the effective policing” on city streets by An Garda Siochana.
Paying tribute to the Bar and solicitors the newly elevated High Court judge said the standard of the legal professionals in Limerick is as good as to be found anywhere in the country.
“Nothing is let sleep no point is left unchallenged, cases are well prepared and all of this work is done in a communicative manner in the spirit of co-operation.”
Having received plaudits from a number of speakers, Judge Moran praised the court staff as being a great source of support adding that “all the staff who work upstairs, unseen, are vital”.
Quipping as to the long cases and trials he heard, Judge Moran quipped “that at times when I was getting exacerbated with unending cross examinations, tireless submissions, and on hearing a certain degree of nonsense, I often thought the only person I really like here is the accused”.
But Judge Moran’s secret to success in the start of his day was attributed to one, ever popular, member of the Merchants Quay staff in buildings caretaker and manager, Ollie McCarthy.
“I want to remember Ollie who has managed the court building for over 15 years…
“I appreciate all he has done. Not least and most importantly he has put me into good humour every day as a result of his cheerful and sometimes quite insolent greetings.
Before receiving a standing ovation, Judge Moran said that “my years as an assigned Judge in this circuit have been the happiest time in my working life and of course I am delighted and thrilled to take up my new appointment but at the same time that I am going to miss life in the circuit.”
During the earlier addresses to the court, Des Long BL, prosecution counsel for the State in Ennis described Judge Moran as a “beacon of reason and common sense where you dispersed justice with fairness and equity”.
His time at the bench and in the court was a continuation of the “family tradition of distinguished public service” where his court was a “model of courtesy and inclusion where all had their say.”
He added that Judge Moran, although hailing from Dublin originally was now a honorary Munster man – a title earned that no court or tribunal could take away”, he added.
Speaking on behalf of the Limerick solicitors, Ted McCarthy said that he would like to be associated with the comments of Mr Long speaking on behalf of the Bar where Judge Moran received a “deserved elevation”.
Practitioners had “become used to the high standards, consistency in judgements, a fairness in sentencing while always being polite and affable to all”.
State solicitor Michael Murray said that of his sentencing, Judge Moran would not send “people to jail lightly” adding that sentencing in all cases was “very measured and you agonised and more often than not you erred on the side of leniency and that is a good thing. A harsh court is a bad court and you never ran a bad court. This is something, an ideal, that is to be emanated by every judge.”
Chief Superintendent Dave Sheahan said that Judge Moran “took total command of the court during a fractious period in Limerick’s history. While all around were losing their heads, you were calm and collected which led to balanced and fair judgements.
Judge Moran, he said “captured the mood of the city and gave empathy to all witnesses and they left feeling they got a fair hearing”.
Limerick’s most senior garda said that although merited, the gain for the High Court was a loss for Limerick.
