Mr Justice Seán O'Leary, who has died aged 65, had a high-profile career as a Fine Gael activist before his elevation to the bench, where he also achieved national prominence.
A quintessential Corkman, he ran unsuccessfully for the Dáil in his native county before opting to become a key strategist for former taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Garret FitzGerald.
Mr Justice O'Leary will be buried today at St Finbar's Cemetery, Cork, following 10am Requiem Mass in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, the Lough. He died last Friday at Cork University Hospital following a long illness.
He ran for the party in Cork constituencies in the general elections of 1965, 1969 and 1973, but failed to get elected in the Jack Lynch stronghold. He served a term as lord mayor of Cork.
He played a key role in three general elections fought by Dr FitzGerald. He was national director of elections for the party in the 1981 election, Dr FitzGerald's first as leader, and the two elections in 1982.
In two of the elections, 1981 and the second in 1982, Fine Gael entered power with Labour and Dr FitzGerald was elected taoiseach.
Tough, articulate, and with an in-depth knowledge of the constituencies and candidates, Mr O'Leary also took charge of election expenditure in his capacity as a trained accountant.
In his tribute to Mr Justice O'Leary yesterday, Dr FitzGerald recalled his party colleague's success as a director of elections.
"Seán O'Leary was a remarkable man - of great personal warmth, humour and generosity, quite exceptional intellectual capacity, profound integrity and a natural authority drawn from this combination of talents.
"I saw all those qualities displayed in two very different contexts - a quarter of a century ago, when in three general elections over 18 months he was director of elections for Fine Gael and, later, observing him in action as a judge."
Mr Justice O'Leary later served as a senator, before being appointed to the judiciary.
He chaired the Residential Institutions Redress Board. He was appointed to the post by the then minister for education, Noel Dempsey, in June 2002.
The board had been set up the previous April to provide an alternative to court for the victims of institutional child abuse.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny described Mr Justice O'Leary "as a very gifted individual with a very bright and incisive mind".
Former taoiseach and EU ambassador to the United States John Bruton described him as "deeply humane and lovable". He had held the most prominent and varied positions in public life, without ever losing his humility or brilliant sense of humour.
"He could always get to the heart of any issue, however complex or intractable . . . he will be deeply missed, especially by those to whom he showed so much kindness over the years".
Mr Justice O'Leary is survived by his wife, Mary, and five children.
