Judge Daniel Shields: JUDGE DANIEL Shields, who has died aged 78, was a mild-mannered person but behind this exterior was a man of sound principles and strong beliefs.
Judge Shields qualified as a solicitor in 1950. He was appointed as a mobile district judge in 1985 and became a metropolitan district judge in 1986. He did a wide variety of work in the Metropolitan Courts but in his later years there sat mostly in the Civil Courts in Dolphin House.
In 1994, he was appointed to District No. 3 (which covers most of Mayo with the exception of Ballyhaunis and Charlestown courts), where he sat until his retirement in 1999.
After qualifying as a solicitor, Judge Shields worked as an assistant in the family firm, VP Shields & Co of Loughrea, Co Galway. The firm was founded by his father, Vincent P Shields, who came from Tyrone to join Patrick Hogan and the firm was previously known as Hogan & Shields.
Two of VP's sons, Daniel and Thomas, became solicitors but Thomas died young at the age of 28. Later, three of Daniel's sons, Daniel J, Vincent and Stephen, also joined the firm.
Daniel Shields was a senior partner in the firm until he became a judge in the mid-1980s. He died on February 19th, just weeks after his predecessor in Mayo, Judge Patrick Brennan.
Although they were in Mayo for only a relatively short time (1994-2001), Judge Shields and his wife, Catherine (Kitty), became very fond of the place and its people. He formed long-lasting friendships.
Just 10 days before he died, he requested that members of his family drive him to Claremorris to see Judge Brennan, his predecessor in District No. 3, as he had a great fondness for him.
Judge Shields was a fountain of knowledge as regards the law. His compassion was renowned. The variety of work as a judge appealed to him but his relationships with the legal profession, the staff of the Courts Service and the gardaí, indeed all he came in contact with, was all-important to him.
After his death, his family was to remark that the quality of these relationships was one of the biggest factors in making his period as a judge a particularly fruitful and enjoyable period of his life.
In one of the many court tributes paid to Judge Shields after his death, one eminent solicitor in Mayo said that as well as possessing a great store of knowledge about the law, he knew how to apply common sense when it was needed and this had marked him out as an excellent judge who had left an enduring legacy.
He also possessed another great attribute, a sense of humour, for which he would be fondly remembered.
Aside from his work, Daniel Shields had many hobbies and special interests. He was an accomplished pianist and adored classical music. He played regularly in his early years for the St Brendan's Choral and Dramatic Society.
He had a vast collection of records, CDs and scores, was an enthusiastic concert-goer and a regular attender of music festivals both at home and abroad. He was also an avid reader and enjoyed walking.
He is survived by his wife, Catherine (Kitty), nee Murphy; five sons, Vincent, Stephen, Tommy, Dan, and Andrew, and three daughters, Maura (Glynn), Dorothy (McLoughlin) and Catherine (Rogerson).
Judge Daniel Shields: born August 6th, 1929; died February 19th, 2008.