George Gavan Duffy

George Gavan Duffy (Irish: Seoirse Gabhán Ó Dubhthaigh; 21 October 1882 – 10 June 1951) was an Irish politician, barrister and judge.

George Gavan Duffy was born at Rose Cottage, Rock Ferry, Cheshire, England, in 1882, the son of Sir Charles Gavan Duffy and his third wife, Louise (née Hall). His half-brother Sir Frank Gavan Duffy (1852–1936) was the fourth Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, sitting on the bench of the High Court from 1913-35.

His sister Louise Gavan Duffy came to Ireland in 1907, taught in Patrick Pearse's St Ita's school for girls Scoil Íde, was, with Mary Colum first Secretary of Cumann na mBan, was out in the Easter Rising of 1916 in the GPO and Jacob's garrisons. She founded and ran Scoil Bhríde, a bilingual school in Dublin, which is still in operation. Louise came originally to Dublin, as her mother died in 1889. George was raised by three half-sisters travelling from Austria and Germany, at Guilloy, Nice. He spoke fluent Italian and French received education from Petit Seminaire. From there he was sent to Stonyhurst College.

He qualified with a solicitor's firm in London in 1907. He married Margaret Sullivan on 13 December 1908. They had two children, a son (Colum) and a daughter (Máire). Colum Duffy was a legal scholar and law librarian at the Law Society of Ireland.

Gavan Duffy qualified as a solicitor and practised in London. He defended Sir Roger Casement at his trial for high treason after the Easter Rising. Although the case was unsuccessful and Casement executed, the trial had an enormous effect on Gavan Duffy and in 1917, when he was called to the Irish Bar, he came to live in King's Inn, Dublin, where he became immersed in Irish political life.

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