Court fine put towards maintaining service

A judge has replaced a court’s poor box with a “poor court box” in a campaign to retain a sitting district court in Co Cork.

The monthly court in Kinsale is under fire from the Court Service and is targeted for closure.

Judge James McNulty is doing his bit to support the legal profession and gardaí, who believe a regular court is essential to maintaining law and order in the town.

Yesterday, the first transaction for the “poor court box” — a contribution of €1,000 in lieu of a fine — was allocated to the fund.

The Court Service last year transferred Kinsale District Court to Bandon due to the unsuitability of the town hall building.

However, this month, Judge McNulty resumed the court sitting in Kinsale, which is being held in the local Temperance Hall.

Kinsale Town Council is anxious to provide court accommodation in a new amenity at the proposed James O’Neill Memorial Mill Building.

It is believed that, in an effort to make a contribution towards the project, Judge McNulty advised solicitors at Kinsale Court that, in some cases, clients could make charitable donations in lieu of a fine.