Henry Barron (25 May 1928 – 25 February 2010) was an Irish judge who served as a judge of the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

from 1997 to 2000 and a judge of the High Court from 1982 to 1997. He was known for granting

Ireland's first divorce The Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution Act 1995 (previously bill no. 15 of 1995) is an amendment of the Constitution of Ireland which removed the constitutional prohibition on divorce, and allowed for the dissolution of a marriage provided ...

in 1997, and for his investigation into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings. His report on the bombings became known as the Barron Report, and it made a contribution towards the 2005 Commission of Investigation: Dublin and Monaghan Bombings 1974. He was president of the Irish Jewish Museum.

Career

Barron attended Castle Park School in Dalkey, Dublin, before progressing to Saint Columba's College, Rathfarnham. He studied at third level in Trinity College Dublin. Upon his departure in 1950 Barron scored first class honours and was awarded a moderatorship in

legal science Legal science is one of the main components in civil law tradition (after Roman law, canon law, commercial law, and the legacy of the revolutionary period). Legal science is primarily the creation of German legal scholars of the middle and late ...

. In 1951 he began the Bar and silk followed nineteen years later. In 1982, he was nominated by Taoiseach

Garret FitzGerald Garret Desmond FitzGerald (9 February 192619 May 2011) was an Irish Fine Gael politician, economist and barrister who served twice as Taoiseach, serving from 1981 to 1982 and 1982 to 1987. He served as Leader of Fine Gael from 1977 to 1987, and ...

to become a judge of the High Court. He served in the High Court for fifteen years. In 1997, Taoiseach John Bruton and the

24th Government of Ireland The 24th Government of Ireland (15 December 1994 – 26 June 1997) was the government formed after the Labour Party had left its previous coalition with Fianna Fáil two years into the 27th Dáil. It was a coalition of Fine Gael, with leader J ...

nominated Judge Barron as a judge of the

. Upon his appointment to the court, he granted the state's first divorce. He was the first Jew ever appointed to the Irish Supreme Court.

Retirement and Barron Report

Judge Barron retired in 2000. He was then commissioned to investigate the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings and Judge

Liam Hamilton Liam Hamilton (8 September 1928 – 29 November 2000) was an Irish judge and barrister who served as Chief Justice of Ireland and a Judge of the Supreme Court from 1994 to 2000, President of the High Court from 1985 to 1994 and a Judge of the H ...

replaced him in the Supreme Court. He retired from the bench due to ill health. He investigated bombing incidents in Castleblayney, Dundalk, Dublin Airport, the Miami Showband murders and the deaths of eighteen other individuals. His report, terme
The Barron Report
and presented to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice in December 2003, was highly critical of the investigation into the bombings by both the Fine Gael- Labour government and the Gardaí,Dublin and Monaghan bombings: Cover-up and incompetence, by Joe Tiernan
– '' The Village'', Wednesday, 2 May 2007 and stated they might have made a better attempt to catch those responsible. He did not lay any definitive blame on the

British Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...

Death

Barron died at the age of 81 in

St. Vincent's University Hospital St. Vincent's Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Ollscoile Naomh Uinseann) is a teaching hospital located at Elm Park, south of the city of Dublin, Ireland. It is at the junction of Merrion Road and Nutley Lane opposite the Merrion Centre and adjacent to ...

, Dublin, on 25 February 2010, having been unwell for a short time. His wife Rosalind had predeceased him by 13 years. 2 sons (Harrie & Robert), 2 daughters (Jane & Anne) and 10 grandchildren outlived him. Barron's funeral took place at Dolphin's Barn's Jewish cemetery on 26 February 2010. After his death tributes were made by politicians and campaigners for justice:

References

External links

* https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/henry-barron-irish-judge-who-led-the-inquiry-into-the-dublin-and-monaghan-bombings-1947255.html * http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article7089275.ece {{DEFAULTSORT:Barron, Henry 1928 births 2010 deaths Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Irish Jews Burials at Dolphins Barn Jewish Cemetery Judges of the Supreme Court of Ireland Lawyers from Dublin (city) Place of birth missing High Court judges (Ireland)