Senior counsel
Paul Anthony McDermott, BCL, LL.M (Cantab), PhD (NUI), qualified as a junior counsel in 1996 and as senior counsel in 2015.
Director general Ken Murphy said that the Law Society was shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the untimely passing of a highly valued legal colleague and friend.
"Paul Anthony was an evidence teacher in the Society’s Law School and, for a great many years, one of the main external legal advisors to the Society on regulatory legal cases before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and the High Court.
Great communicator
"We held him and his advice in the highest regard. He was one of the legal profession’s great communicators," said Murphy.
"We also appreciated his wit and sense of humour. This was exemplified in the whimsy of his Sunday Times columns. It made him such a special pleasure to deal with at all times.
"Our deepest sympathy is extended to his family and many friends."
Paul Anthony McDermott had written his Sunday Times column for the past ten years.
Wit and erudition
Associate editor John Burns paid tribute and said that the paper was in mourning today.
“His wit and erudition were greatly enjoyed by readers. Our sincere condolences to his wife and family,” Burns said.
Micheál P O’Higgins SC (Chair of the Bar Council) said: "Paul Anthony was a skilled and knowledgeable advocate who represented his many clients with distinction.
High-level scholar
"A high-level scholar, he was also a terrific advocate with an unrivalled ability to persuade. Paul was immensely generous in sharing his legal expertise, not only with colleagues seeking assistance, but also through his lecturing and media work.
"He was a gifted teacher of the law in UCD who was hugely popular with his students. His ability to explain complex legal subjects and distil them for better public understanding was unparalleled."
O’Higgins said that Paul had enjoyed a distinguished 23-year career in the Law Library.
The author of several highly regarded textbooks, he was an expert in a range of legal fields, including judicial review, criminal law, constitutional law and contract.
"Paul will be greatly missed by his many friends here," he said.
"I would like to extend our sympathies to Paul Anthony’s wife Annick, his children Harry and Andrew, his mother Margaret, his brother James, and all of his wider family."
Paul Anthony McDermott was educated at St Paul's college in Raheny, Dublin and was a devoted follower of Liverpool FC.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.