Peter O'Brien, 1st Baron O'Brien
|
The Right Honourable The Lord O'Brien PC QC |
|
|---|---|
Lord O'Brien.
|
|
| Lord Chief Justice of Ireland | |
|
In office 1889–1913 |
|
| Monarch |
Victoria Edward VII George V |
| Preceded by | Sir Michael Morris, Bt |
| Succeeded by | Richard Robert Cherry |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 June 1842 Carnelly House, Clarecastle, County Clare |
| Died |
7 September 1914 (aged 72) Airfield, Stillorgan, County Dublin |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Dublin |
Peter O'Brien, 1st Baron O'Brien, PC, QC (29 June 1842 – 7 September 1914), known as Sir Peter O'Brien, Bt, between 1891 and 1900, was an Irish lawyer and judge. He served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland between 1889 and 1913. In his lifetime he was universally known as Peter the Packer, due to the skill he had shown as Attorney-General in securing "packed" juries.
O'Brien was born at Carnelly House, Clarecastle, County Clare the fifth son of John O'Brien, Liberal Member of Parliament for Limerick, and his wife Ellen Murphy, daughter of Jeremiah Murphy of Hyde Park, County Cork. He was a nephew of Mr. Justice James O'Brien of the Court of King's Bench (Ireland). He was educated at Clongowes Wood College and Trinity College, Dublin and was called to the Irish Bar in 1865.
O'Brien joined the Munster circuit and built up a successful practice, and in 1880 became a Queen's Counsel. The following year he was appointed Junior Crown Counsel at Green Street, Dublin, becoming Senior in 1882, and was made a bencher of the King's Inns in 1884. He was one of the principal prosecutors in the Phoenix Park murders, and it is said that his life was threatened as a result. He unsuccessfully stood for the House of Commons as the Liberal candidate for County Clare in 1879: his defeat is said to have been due to his opposition to Irish Home Rule. In 1887 O'Brien was appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland, becoming Attorney-General for Ireland and an Irish Privy Counsellor the following year. He was finally appointed Lord Chief Justice of Ireland in 1889, holding the office for twenty-four years.
...
Wikipedia