A High Court judge has led tributes in court to reporter Aodhán Ó Faoláin who died last week.
Mr Justice Brian Cregan said he wanted to pay tribute to Mr Ó Faoláin, on behalf of the judiciary before the formal business of the court began this morning.
Mr Ó Faoláin reported from the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court for most national and local media organisations in Ireland.
The judge said that in the days since Mr Ó Faoláin's death, it was as if the legal community suddenly realised what had been lost.
He said this was reflected in the tributes paid to him from judges, lawyers and the Attorney General as well as colleagues in the media.
Mr Justice Cregan said Mr Ó Faoláin's writing was simple, direct and free of jargon. He said his opening sentences always made the reader want to read more.
The judge said it was a core principle of the Constitution that justice should be administered in public and this required court reporters to tell the stories to their readers.
While barristers got lost in legal principles, he said Aodhán always told the stories of the people at the heart of the cases in an interesting, accurate and accessible way, a skill for which he was justly admired.
The judge said the loss of a member of one of the many communities who worked in the Four Courts was always felt, and he said Mr Ó Faoláin would be a great loss to everyone who worked in the building.
He said it was heartbreaking that he had passed away at such a young age, and the eulogy by his wife, Janet, at his funeral service showed just how heartbreaking it was.
Mr Justice Cregan said those working in the Four Courts would miss him and would honour his memory.
Mr Ó Faoláin was cremated after a funeral service at the Victorian Chapel at Mount Jerome Crematorium in Harold's Cross in Dublin yesterday.
The service was attended by many leading figures from the worlds of law and journalism, including Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan, Supreme Court judges, Gerard Hogan and Séamus Woulfe, Court of Appeal judge Brian O'Moore, High Court judges Conleth Bradley, Cian Ferriter, Charles Meenan and other members of the judiciary as well as a number of senior barristers, registrars from the High and Supreme courts and current and former tip staff.
