Supreme Court judge Niall McCarthy and his wife Barbara were killed in a car crash 10 years ago today. Now their family has set up a law bursary in their parents' honour, writes Kathryn Holmquist

Losing a parent is a transforming experience that brings years of grief, reflection and - eventually - acceptance. The adult children of Niall and Barbara McCarthy were doubly challenged when they lost both their parents at once, in a car accident in Spain 10 years ago today.

Ruth, David, Niall and Barbara, experienced "absolute shock" and lived for years with the sense of disbelief that sudden death brings. They wanted to create a memorial to their parents, but they realised that it had to be an investment that would live on and ensure that their parents' values and ideals would continue as a force in society.

Their father, Niall, was an influential and idealistic Supreme Court judge, with an interest in international law. His judgments were clear, articulate and passionate in their sincerity, Chief Justice Thomas Finlay said. Former president Mary Robinson described Niall McCarthy as "renowned for his formidable intellectual abilities . . . the depth and range of his interests were extraordinary and his lively involvement in cultural and social affairs greatly enriched Irish society. He was a Renaissance man, and his work with the National Archives will have a lasting influence on historical research and scholarship in this country."

At the time of Niall McCarthy's death, this newspaper described him as "a man whose concern for the oppressed constituted a golden thread through his rightly acclaimed judgments". His wife, Barbara, was equally rich in intellect and passion for life. The couple were a true team who enriched the lives of those around them, especially their children's.

The McCarthy family has decided to set up a McCarthy bursary, with an initial investment of €65,000, which will go towards tuition and living expenses for one person, every two years, who chooses to study law at the King's Inns.

They are looking for candidates who would be unable to complete a law degree without such assistance. The bursary is intended to encourage a fuller understanding of human rights law, so each succeeding McCarthy scholar at the Inns will also spend five months as an internee at the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

The family hopes that, over time, these graduates will become an informal but coherent group within the Irish legal system, ideally reflecting those qualities of humanity and integrity, incorporated in the best of Niall McCarthy's work.