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Question: the old munster circuit Maurice Healy and his reference to Michael Comyn KC

Thought for 4m 15s

Maurice Healy’s The Old Munster Circuit (1939) is a memoir recounting his experiences as a barrister on the Irish Munster Circuit from around 1910 to the early 1920s, filled with anecdotes about courtroom drama, colorful legal personalities, and the social life of the bar in southern Ireland during that era.Michael Comyn KC (1871–1952), a prominent Irish barrister who joined the Munster Circuit in 1900 and became King’s Counsel in 1914, is referenced in Healy’s book as part of its portrayal of the circuit’s notable figures and cases.

The mention highlights Comyn’s role in the legal scene of the time, including his reputation as a skilled advocate involved in high-profile cases, such as defending republican prisoners during the Irish War of Independence.

This is confirmed in correspondence from King’s Inns dated January 24, 2007, noting Comyn’s inclusion in Healy’s memoir.

The book does not devote an entire chapter to Comyn but incorporates him into its nostalgic accounts of the circuit’s barristers and traditions, reflecting his active participation alongside other figures like Patrick Lynch KC.

For the full context, the memoir is available online via archive.org or in reprint editions.

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Is there any history about Michael Comyn 1900 to 1914 when he became a KC like details of cases, speaking at events, representing Clare Co. Council or any information apart from the detailed cases after 1916

Thought for 2m 2s

Michael Comyn (1871–1952) was called to the Irish Bar in 1898 after studying at King’s Inns while working as a civil servant in excise. He joined the Munster Circuit in 1900, initially presenting himself at quarter sessions in his home county of Clare, despite lacking legal connections or family background in the profession.

He built a successful practice primarily on the civil side, and Clare County Council retained him as their barrister during this period.

Comyn was active in nationalist politics before 1914, though specific speeches or events from this era are not well-documented in available sources.

Few detailed records of his individual cases from 1900 to 1914 survive online, but some notable activities include:

• In 1912, he served as a revising barrister at the Cork Revision Sessions, handling voter registration disputes.

He took silk as King’s Counsel in June 1914, marking the end of this phase of his career.

His work during these years laid the foundation for his later prominence in defending republican causes post-1916, but pre-1914 details focus more on his civil practice and local Clare connections rather than high-profile criminal or political cases.

I have the ballad concerning Arkins. Are there any other specific cases in that period, especially Co. Clare, 1900 to 1914 when he took silk?

Thought for 3m 3s

Michael Comyn’s legal career from 1900 to 1914 was primarily on the civil side within the Munster Circuit, which he joined in 1900 after being called to the bar in 1898. He initially presented himself at quarter sessions in his home county of Clare, where he gradually built a successful practice despite lacking family connections in the legal profession.

Clare County Council retained him as their standing counsel during this period, meaning he regularly represented them in civil matters, though specific case details from this role are not well-documented in available records.

Apart from the Patrick Arkins case in 1903 (which you mentioned having the ballad for), no other individual court cases from County Clare in this timeframe are explicitly recorded in historical sources, but his work likely involved typical civil disputes such as land and tenant issues common in rural Ireland at the time. In 1912, Comyn served as a revising barrister at the Cork Revision Sessions, handling voter registration disputes and objections to electoral lists—though this was in Cork rather than Clare, it was part of his broader Munster Circuit duties.

He was also active in nationalist politics before 1914, including participating in the North West Manchester by-election campaign in 1908 (not 1909 as sometimes misstated), where he supported the Liberal candidate and interacted with figures like Winston Churchill and Lady Randolph Churchill.

While not a legal case, this political involvement may have included public speaking at events, though exact details of speeches are scarce. His reputation grew steadily, leading to his appointment as King’s Counsel in June 1914.

For deeper insights, consulting archives like the Dictionary of Irish Biography or local Clare records (e.g., via Clare County Library) could reveal more granular details not available online.

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