Tributes paid to judge on his retirement

June 1990

GLOWING tributes are paid at a sitting of Dundalk circuit court to Judge Frank Roe, recently retired president of the circuit court.

He also presided over courts in the Eastern District, including Dundalk.

Judge Patrick Smith says Judge Roe is at heart very much a Dundalk man, his grandfather being the founder of the ‘Dundalk Democrat’ newspaper, and his father a well-known solicitor in the town who then became a barrister and subsequently a judge.

Judge Roe is a great Christian, a great philanthropist and humanist. He was also a brilliant and successful lawyer, a fair and impartial judge and a sportsman, Judge Smith continues.

As a lawyer and judge he would be remembered mostly by the thousands of people he came in contact with over the years.

His practice was gigantic, his capacity for work legendary. His working day in court knew no boundaries. Lists were always finished, regardless of the hour.

Judge Roe’s other great interest is horse racing, some of his horses named after well-known places in Louth. Carlingford Castle carried his colours to second place behind Teenoso in the 1983 Epsom Derby.

Barrister John O’Hagan, state solicitor Gerry Daly and solcitor Roger McGinley also offer their good wishes.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues in Louth, Mr McGinley remarks it is hard to envisage the pratice of law in the country without Judge Roe.

There is nobody who practiced law in the north-eastern part of Ireland in the last 50 years who has not been influenced by him.

His name would live on in the history of legal practice in the area for a very long time.

Tributes are also paid by Garda Inspector Michel Staunton and county registrar Brendan Breathnach.