Tributes are paid to late district court judge

TRIBUTES were paid at Limerick Circuit Court yesterday to retired district court judge, Murtagh de Burca who died on Monday at the age of 93.

Judge de Burca presided over district court hearings in Limerick up to his retirement 23 years ago.

Brendan Nix, SC on behalf of the Bar recalled ‘cutting his teeth’ before Judge de Burca as a young lawyer.

He said: “Judge de Burca was a fine lawyer and each case was treated the same with all their infirmities and dealt with appropriately. He taught me the rules of evidence and indeed gave me a hard time, but it stood to me.”

Everybody, he said got a fair hearing, whether they were members of the garda, or the accused.

“There was no favouritism in his court and no back door to approach him. He was a man of great scruple,” he said.

Limerick city State Solicitor Michael Murray, on behalf of solicitors, said the fact that Judge de Burca was a hard task master, stood to the solicitors who practiced in his court.

He said: Judge de Burca’s passing is a matter of great sadness to all of us who knew him and to his family.”

Judge de Burca died at Milford Care Centre.

Jude de Burca’s burial will take place at Rath Cemetery in Tralee today (Thursday) at 3pm following 11am Requiem Mass at St Joseph’s Church in Limerick.