Former Supreme Court judge Hugh O'Flaherty dies aged 88

Former Supreme Court judge Hugh O Flaherty has passed away at the age of 88. Hailing from Kerry, O Flaherty was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Patrick Hillery in 1990, at the age of 52. This appointment made him one of a select group of lawyers to join Ireland's highest court directly from the Bar. In 1992, O Flaherty played a pivotal role in the controversial X case, which involved a 14-year-old girl who was pregnant, suicidal, and had been raped by a neighbour.

The Supreme Court, under his leadership, permitted her to travel abroad for an abortion. This decision sparked significant public debate and led to a nationwide referendum in 1992, which established the right to travel and access information about abortion. The X case is widely regarded as one of Ireland's most significant legal decisions.

O Flaherty resigned from the Supreme Court in 1999 following the publication of the Hamilton report, which criticized his intervention in the case of Phillip Sheedy, an architect who had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving by death. Despite his resignation, O Flaherty maintained that he had acted appropriately. In 2000, he withdrew his nomination as the Government's candidate for a European Investment Bank vice-president due to political protests.

O Flaherty, a graduate of the University College Dublin, was deeply committed to his hometown of Cahersiveen and the Kerry football team. He is survived by his wife Kathleen, sons Hugh and Rory, and daughters Catherine and Bríd. His funeral will be held in his native Cahersionsen on Friday, followed by a mass and burial in Dublin on Saturday.