The former president of the High Court, Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan, has died at the age of 81.
He passed away peacefully after a short illness.
He is survived by his wife Kay and their four children, Yvonne, Gerald, Hazel and Charlotte, as well as five grandchildren.
Mr Finnegan studied law at UCD and qualified as a solicitor in 1966, and later as a barrister in 1978.
He became a senior counsel in 1990 and gained a reputation for taking on novel or difficult cases.
He was appointed as a judge of the High Court in 1999 and in 2001 became President of the High Court.
When he was first appointed as a judge in 1999, he received a letter from a Supreme Court judge asking who was going to represent litigants in all the "lost causes" now that he had gone to the bench.
In 2006, Mr Finnegan was himself appointed to the Supreme Court until his retirement in 2012.
As a barrister, he represented former Fianna Fáil minister Ray Burke at the planning tribunal.
After his retirement from the bench, he acted as a mediator in the dispute between Cavan businessman Sean Quinn and the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation.
Mr Finnegan was a keen motorcyclist and was also known for his love of music and literature.
Born in Dublin, he lived in Co Wicklow and spent much time since his retirement in Spain.
His family said that ultimately and above all else he will be remembered as a family man.
Another former High Court president, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, said Mr Finnegan was "notable for his immense dedication to his work and his great empathy with litigants, colleagues and staff".
He said his quiet dignity and self-deprecating humour were cherished by all who knew him.
