Rory Brady

Rory Brady (20 August 1957 – 19 July 2010)^[1] was an Irish barrister. He was Attorney General of Ireland from 2002 to 2007, and also served on the Council of State. Internationally, he sat on the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.^[1] He was a visiting fellow at Harvard University in the United States,^[1] and was tipped as a possible Supreme Court judge.^[2]

Early life

Brady was born on 20 August 1957.^[1] He sat his Leaving Certificate in Synge Street CBS in 1975. He studied law in University College Dublin, receiving a Bachelor of Civil Law Degree in 1978. Brady was a tutor in Business Law in the Faculty of Commerce at University College Dublin.^[3]

Career

In 1979, he was called to the Irish Bar at The Honorable Society of King's Inns; and by the Middle Temple in London in 1986. Brady was called to the Inner Bar of Ireland in 1996 and was chairman of the Bar Council of Ireland from October 2000 until June 2002. He thought the Personal Injuries Assessment Board was a "fatally flawed project".^[4] On 6 June 2002 he was appointed as Attorney General by the President of Ireland, on the nomination of the then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. He battled for an Indonesian child in the High Court,^[5] and in January 2006, told the Health Service Executive to repay €48 million illegal fees it took from nursing home residents.^[6][7][8] When "Mr A" was released the same year, Brady was vindicated.^[9] He was also a member of other statutory bodies within Ireland, including the Courts Service Board (October 2000 to June 2002); the Censorship of Publications Board (which he chaired from December 2001 to June 2002); and the Garda Síochána Complaints Board (from April 2002 to June 2002). He left in 2007 in what was considered a surprise move,^[1] becoming a barrister again,^[1] and receiving a "golden parachute" package of approximately either €87,000^[10] or more than €200,000.^[11][12]

In 2008, he mediated between broadcaster Pat Kenny and a neighbour with whom he was in disagreement over land, successfully resolving the dispute after ten hours of discussions.^[13] He later travelled to the United States to watch Bertie Ahern address the United States Congress in joint session in Washington, D.C..^[14]

Brady died in July 2010, survived by his wife and two daughters. He had felt unwell for two years.^[15] Incumbent Taoiseach Brian Cowen called him one of the "finest and most able barristers of his time", while former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said Brady was "a great Dubliner who had a strong affinity with his native city" and described him as "my closest and most trusted colleague at the cabinet table. He was never anything less than brilliant".^[16] Ahern had been assisted by Brady in a defamation case.^[1] Fine Gael's Charlie Flanagan stated that Brady had served "with distinction".^[5] Hundreds of people, including politicians, attended his removal,^[17][18] while his funeral was also well attended.^[19] His interment was in Mount Jerome Cemetery.^[20]

References

Article

• "Where are they now: Rory Brady" – Sunday Independent – Ross, Shane – 4 January 2009

External links

• Attorney General profile