Lawyers’ late-night fracas over taxi after drinks party for AG
TWO members of the legal profession were involved in a late-night fracas after a function to honour Attorney General Seamus Woulfe.
The incident happened after a ‘benching’ dinner and drinks reception which was attended by senior members of the cabinet including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, Education Minister Richard Bruton, Social Welfare Minister Regina Doherty and Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone.
Benching is a ceremony in which King’s Inns gives someone an honorary award to signify the esteem in which the society holds them.
The function was held at the King’s Inns building in Dublin.
The highly embarrassing altercation happened when many of those present retired to have drinks in a bar reserved for members of the legal profession and their guests, at the Bar Council’s Distillery Building close to the Four Courts.
According to some of those who attended the dinner on Friday, February 9, a member of the legal profession took offence at a comment that a more junior member made in conversation with the Taoiseach.
It is understood Mr Varadkar was oblivious to the nature of the remark and did not take offence, or notice any subsequent conversation about the issue. The senior legal person ticked off the junior but did so in such a discreet manner that many of those near the Taoiseach were unaware that an offensive remark had been made.
One of the guests at the function said: ‘I was there and, for most of the night, I was within earshot of the Taoiseach. I didn’t hear anything and, as far as I could see, the Taoiseach was in great form.’
However, at the end of the night tension between the two legal eagles was re-ignited when they tried to get a taxi home. The party ended about 2.30am and people left to look for taxis.
After a verbal exchange between the pair, punches were thrown. A third member of the legal profession then also got involved.
A source said: ‘A taxi arrived on the scene and the junior legal person who was ticked off earlier claimed the taxi was for him.
‘The more senior person, who had ticked him off, claimed it was his taxi. A row developed and punches were thrown. The junior lawyer called gardaí, but no official complaint was made, as cooler heads prevailed the next morning.’
Both members of the legal profession were contacted by the Irish Mail on Sunday yesterday. The senior legal eagle declined to comment, saying only that ‘it seems you have been given snippets of information and they’ve all been jumbled up’.
Meanwhile, the junior member said: ‘I don’t have any version of events to share with you,’ before hanging up.
The Bar Council said it had no comment to make.
A source stressed the Taoiseach – who had ‘long departed the scene’ – knew nothing of the fracas until the following morning when he heard about the late-night row.
‘After a verbal exchange, punches were thrown’