A lawyer of deep humanity
TRIBUTE TO BALLYMOTE NATIVE EAMONN BARNES, ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S FIRST DPP’S WHO PASSED AWAY RECENTLY
EAMONN Barnes was a serious man and a happy man.
Born in Ballymote in1934, the son of two schoolteachers, following his schooldays he studied law at King’s Inns Dublin, and history University College Dublin, where he studied history. There he met his beloved Dolores (Do), who was born on the same day as Eamonn.
They were married in 1961.He delighted in her company, almost like a teenager, and they remained deeply in love until her death some years ago.
That sorrow that never left him, but he bore it with characteristic courage.
He was called to the bar in 1958, and practiced on the Midland circuit until he joined the Attorney General’s office in 1966.
In early 1975 Eamonn became the first Director of Public Prosecutions, beating some formidable competitors for the post.
He served as Director until his retirement in September in 1999.
It was not an easy job. The mid-1970s were turbulent times. There were those who were opposed to the very establishment of his office.
There were others who wanted a DPP who might be malleable,or even subject to manipulation.
These were sorely disappointed. Eamonn fought from the outset to defend the statutory independence of his office.
That independence was critically important to the function of the DPP and it is a measure of his integrity and courage that it remained unquestioned at the time of his retirement. For this, the country owes him a debt of gratitude.
He took his work seriously, and all his decisions were made after careful and independent consideration and with respect for the rights of all.
In his work, his finely honed professional legal judgement was tempered with a generous humanity; he had a deep understanding of the human condition.
Those that knew him were not surprised that he visited a young neighbour who was in prison in the U.K. Integrity was the hallmark of his professional career.
Eamonn Barnes helped found the International Association of Prosecutors in 1995, and he served as its president from 1996 until his retirement. The Association now has members in 171 countries around the world.
Eamonn was an enthusiastic Francophile, and the Barnes family holidays were exuberant adventures that embodied his unending curiosity in cultural and historical matters, his huge devotion to his family, and his unbeatable capacity for sheer good fun.
When Eamonn cooked a boeuf bourguignon, it was a day long process, combining commentary, improvisation and experimentation.
It was performance art at its most enjoyable. There was never any danger that either the beef itself, or those privileged to witness the performance, would ever run short of wine.
The Barnes home has always been a place of welcome, laughter, and good conversation. Topics could range from Jeeves and Wooster to the south Sligo style of fiddle playing, and a lack of knowledge was not regarded as a bar to participation.
The unwary neighbour, casually stopping by, could often find himself still there hours later, as Eamonn’s warmth and hospitality transformed a fleeting visit into a party.
Eamonn was a profoundly spiritual man and attended Mass daily in Sandyford. His joy in life and love of his family were an expression of that spirituality.
He was a proud father to Joe, Paul, John, Mary Jane, and Ruth; he took enormous pleasure in them, and he gave them great happiness in return. He was also a loving father-in-law.
He took the task of being ‘Bopa’ to Natalie, Rebecca, Alexander, Emily, Daniel, Seán and Ross with the same energy and seriousness as he did any professional work.
I knew him as a neighbour and a friend. These are things that do not always go hand in hand, but as in the case of Eamonn Barnes it was hard to be one without being the other.
He was most kind and he was great company; he had a powerful mind and a dangerous instinct for fun; he had a strong sense of duty showed deep commitment to his work; he got great pleasure out of life generally but especially in the company of his own family . Eamonn Mary Barnes was the salt of the earth! -