UCC School of Law graduates nominated for District Court appointment

6 Apr 2026

Eamonn Carroll, Paula Cullinane and Olivia Traynor have been appointed as Judges of the District Court. 

Three UCC School of Law graduates have been nominated by the Government as ordinary judges of the District Court. The decision was taken at Wednesday 1st April's cabinet meeting, and sees the nomination of eight people for appointment to the District Court by President Catherine Connolly. 

Those nominated include seven solicitors: Edward (Eamonn) Carroll, Paula Cullinane, Tom MacSharry, Mary McAveety, Darach McCarthy, Catriona Murray, and Olivia Traynor; and one barrister, Andrew Gubbins.

They fill a number of vacancies arising from a resignation, three elevations to the Circuit Court, a retirement and three scheduled retirements.

Mr Carroll is a Cork-based solicitor who qualified in 1988 and has been partner in Noonan Linehan Carroll Coffey Solicitors since 1995. He completed his BCL and LLB in University College Cork and a further LLM in the University of Northumbria and Law Society of Ireland.

Ms Traynor qualified as a solicitor in 2002 and has been a sole practitioner in Galway since 2012. She holds a BCL and LLB from University College Cork.

Ms Cullinane is a Dublin solicitor who qualified in 2005 and has been partner in O’Donnell Murray LLP since 2021. She obtained her BCL from University College Cork and holds diplomas in family law and judicial skills and decision-making from the Law Society of Ireland.

“The nominations for appointment to the District Court follows a process conducted by the Judicial Appointments Commission,” the Department of the Taoiseach said in a press statement. “The government has taken the necessary steps to formally advise President Connolly of the nomination in accordance with constitutional practice.”