Patrick Connolly, the eminent barrister and former attorney general, who has died aged 88, was described by colleagues and friends as a lovable, talented, humorous, generous and compassionate man of principles and integrity.
They also referred to him as one of Ireland's most outstanding senior counsel, who might have been president of the High Court or a judge of the Supreme Court but for an unfortunate incident that happened when he was attorney general in 1982.
Connolly was born in Fingal, Co Dublin, the elder of two sons of PJ Connolly and Ellen O’Hara. His father was headmaster of Ballyboughal National School and his mother taught in Oldtown National School, both in Fingal.
He attended both his parents’ schools before winning a scholarship to St Joseph’s Garbally College secondary boarding school in Ballinasloe, where his father had been educated. He was a diligent student and participated in school sports and drama, especially Gilbert and Sullivan productions.
Academically accomplished, he won a scholarship to University College Dublin, where he took a first in law. He was active in the college’s Literary and Historical Society and became its auditor. Study at King’s Inns followed and he was called to the Bar in 1949 and to the Inner Bar in 1971.
He built up a very successful practice and came to be widely respected and recognised in legal circles as one of Ireland’s leading barristers. He specialised in personal injuries, acting mainly for insurance companies in civil cases.
Whiddy Island
One of his more high-profile cases was when he acted for the French oil company Total in the Whiddy Island disaster. which occurred in January 1979 when the oil tanker
Betelgeuse
exploded at the oil terminal there, the explosion and resultant fire killing 50 people.
As a junior, he had been part of the legal team acting for Charles Haughey in the Arms Trial in 1970. When Haughey became taoiseach, for a second time, in 1982, he appointed Connolly as his attorney general.
Connolly had been a long-time friend of Brenda Little and that summer had let her partner, Malcolm Macarthur, stay in his apartment in Dalkey. It was a kind gesture that was to cost him dearly both personally and professionally.
Macarthur was a suspect in a double murder and was arrested in Connolly’s apartment as the latter departed for a holiday to the US. A media frenzy followed which caused the shocked Connolly to return to Ireland and to resign his post. He was a completely innocent party in the events but was subjected to much unfair and unfounded speculation.
An intensely private man, he never afterwards referred to the experience. He returned to his private practice, which he continued up to the age of 82.
Love of GAA
His love of sport, especially GAA, was lifelong; he attended his first match at the age of three and his last in 2013, when his beloved Dublin defeated Mayo in the All Ireland final. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of GAA history and was known to regale colleagues in the Law Library on Monday mornings with match reports and post-match analyses (of rugby and cricket fixtures as well as GAA).
He also loved travel and music, especially opera, and most especially Wagner, and he travelled far and wide to attend operas in many world capitals.
One of his most treasured possessions was a rare edition of Finnegans Wake, presented to him by some of his close friends and colleagues on the 50th anniversary of his admittance to the Bar.
Patrick Connolly is survived by his nephew Stephen, nieces Geraldine, Helen and Aideen, and sister-in-law Gertrude.