---

Noeline Blackwell honoured at Irish Law Awards

Noeline Blackwell, solicitor and chief executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Irish Law Awards 2022.

The ceremony for the awards, which were sponsored by Dye & Durham, took place at the Aviva Stadium on Friday (28 October). The event was hosted by broadcaster Ivan Yates.

And Kildare solicitor Susan Webster was awarded Sole Practitioner of the Year.

Maeve O’Rourke of the OUTLaw Network received a Special Merit Award.

Lawyer of the Year

Flynn O’Driscoll LLP was named overall Law Firm of the Year, as well as taking the prize for the Dublin region. The other regional winners were:

• O’Donnell McKenna (Connacht/Ulster),
• Coghlan Kelly Solicitors (Leinster), and
• Regan Wall LLP (Munster).

Richard Grogan of Richard Grogan & Associates was Lawyer of the Year, having also been named as regional winner for Dublin.  

The other regional winners were:

• Alvaro Blasco (Leinster),
• Donnacha Anhold (Connacht/Ulster), and
• Kieran Mulcahy (Munster).

Law Book of the Year went to Vivian Geiran and Shane McCarthy for Probation and Parole in Ireland: Law and Practice.

For the second year running, Matheson was named Diversity and Inclusion Law Firm of the Year. 

Chair Tara Doyle said the recognition was a fitting tribute to the hard work and progress made so far.

Commercial prize 

Reddy Charlton LLP was Corporate/Commercial Law Team of the Year, while Frank Buttimer & Company took the prize in the criminal-law category.

Keith Walsh Solicitors was the overall and Leinster (including Dublin) winner in the family-law category.

Geraghty & Co Solicitors took the Connacht/Ulster prize, and Karen Tobin won the Munster award.

In employment law, Alastair Purdy & Co took the overall award, as well as winning the Connacht/Ulster prize.

Reddy Charlton LLP was the Leinster (including Dublin) winner, while Aoife Hennessy (Sweeney McGann LLP) took the Munster prize.

The full list of winners can be viewed on the Irish Law Awards website.