He had been tutor to the children of a great peer, and his patron subsequently pressed the Prime Minister to do something for him.

‘I can’t make him a County Court judge,’ said the Prime Minister, ’for he would never decide rightly.’

‘Well,’ said another Minister, ’we are going out, and have not the ghost of a chance of ever getting in again in our time.  Let him be Solicitor-General for Ireland during the last weeks we hold office.’

So this was done out of sheer good-nature; but after the election the Government found themselves saddled with him, for in those days holders of high office were not shelved at the caprice of Premiers, whilst the country had unexpectedly returned the old gang to power.

It has always been averred by the Irish Bar that an office was specially created for the purpose of shunting this legal luminary into it, but as an historical fact I will not vouch for the truth of the sarcasm.  The account of the Cabinet conclave came to me on excellent authority.

When Chief Justice Monaghan died, Lord Morris, who was then a Puisne Judge of Common Pleas, observed that he himself had a good chance of the post.

‘What about Keagh and Lawson?’ asked his acquaintance, they being brother judges.

‘Very good men,’ replied Lord Morris, ’but as they were not appointed by the Tories, I don’t think they’ll promote them.’

‘And how about Ormsby?’ continued the other.

‘Ah now,’ said Morris, ‘you are getting sarcastic.’

There is a cheery story about Judge Keagh, who has just been mentioned.

A number of brothers were before him, charged with killing a man at
Listowel.

The judge was most anxious to ascertain from an important witness what share each of the accused had in the murder.

‘What did John do?’

‘He struck him with his stick on the head.’

‘And James?’

‘James hit him with his fist on the jaw.’

‘And Philip?’

‘Philip tried to get him down and kick him.’

‘And Timothy?’

’He could do nothing, my lord, but he was just walking round searching for a vacancy.’

Which reminds me that fair play is not always recognised as essential in these matters, as the following anecdote shows.

There was a faction feud between the Kellehers and Leehys near Sneem.

One of the Leehys had a bad leg, and was therefore bound apprentice to a shoemaker in Sneem.

On a fair day a solitary Kelleher ventured into the town, and very speedily the Leehys had half-killed and beaten him as well as their numbers would allow.

Suddenly there was a shout, and the poor lame Leehy came hobbling down the street as fast as his wooden leg would permit.

‘Boys, for the love of mercy,’ says he, ’let a poor cripple have one go at the black-hearted varmint.’

One of the counsel engaged in the Harenc case was Mr. Murphy, who was a near relative of Judge Keagh, and he was a man of ready wit into the bargain.