Tributes paid to senior court registrar in Cork who died after short illness

Judge Helen Boyle said Richard O’Connor "was described as the oracle in the office. Any questions, Richie was the person who had the answer to it".

Barristers, solicitors, and the Court Service expressed their condolences to Mr O’Connor’s wife, Aileen, his children, grandchildren, siblings, friends and colleagues. File picture: Richard Mills

Warm tributes were paid to retired senior court registrar, Richard O’Connor, who died after a short illness.

Judge Helen Boyle said at Cork Circuit Court: “I would like to note the sad news that Mr Richard O’Connor – better known as Richie – passed away last night after a short illness. As a court registrar he was well known. Originally from Killarney, he worked in courts in Dublin before coming back to Cork District Court where he was registrar with the late Judge John Clifford.

“When I came to court in ‘96/’97, Judge A.G. Murphy was ‘the one true judge’ and if he was, then Richie was the one true registrar. He did all kinds of trials, including high-profile drug trials. In court he was described as the oracle in the office. Any questions, Richie was the person who had the answer to it.

“What everybody says is how kind he was. Everyone remembers the people who were kind to them when they were starting off — junior solicitors or junior barristers who might not yet be on top of their game — Richie would help them out.

“He was a problem-solver. He would work through something with a twinkle in his eye and a great sense of humour. He was later registrar for Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin until he (Mr O’Connor) suffered an illness just before his retirement. He kept in touch with everybody and was greatly loved by everybody.” 

Judge Boyle was joined by Donal McCarthy on behalf of barristers, John Brosnan on behalf of solicitors and Geraldine O’Leary on behalf of the Court Service in expressing condolences to Mr O’Connor’s wife, Aileen, his children, grandchildren, siblings, friends and colleagues.

Mr McCarthy, barrister, said he always found Mr O’Connor very helpful and said he epitomised the qualities of a senior registrar. Mr Brosnan, state solicitor, said the late Mr O’Connor had great experience and was very helpful to those who wanted or needed it. “He rarely intervened, except when necessary,” Mr Brosnan recalled. 

Ms O’Leary said work colleagues would recall all of that about Richie and also added that he would be fondly remembered “as a great man to party”.