Grandchildren told of Judge Clifford’s legacy

Tributes were yesterday paid to the late judge John Clifford as his grandchildren were present in court to hear of the great contribution by their grandfather to the administration of justice in Cork over a 25-year period.

Father of the Cork bar, Donal McCarthy, turned directly to two of Judge Clifford’s grandchildren, Orla and Abbey Clifford, in the packed courtroom at Cork Circuit Court.

“Orla and Abbey, you had a grandfather who was a very well respected judge who served here for a quarter of a century,” he said. “I think it is important you know where you came from and that you have a lot to live up to.”

Sympathies were extended to the family of the late judge, including his widow, Aideen, and son Eoin, a barrister, who were present for yesterday’s tributes.

Judge Clifford presided as a judge of Cork District Court and later as a judge of the Circuit Court.

Don Murphy of the Southern Law Association said many of the solicitors who began their working lives in the 1980s had to know their law before they made representations in Judge Clifford’s court.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin recalled that, as the holiday period approached, Judge Clifford was only ever going in one direction — west to his native Caherciveen.