Laura Cahillane

Professor Laura Cahillane from UL's School of Law. She is standing beside shelves of old brown books from the 18th and 19th century. She is wearing a royal blue dress and has long brown hair. She is holding a copy of the Irish Constitution.

"If we are serious about our cultural identity, our heritage, traditions & language, it is reasonable to expect that the President should speak our national language."

In The Journal, read the latest opinion piece from UL's Professor Laura Cahillane.

www.thejournal.ie/readme/gaeil...

#StayCurious

Tuairim: Má táimid dáiríre faoin nGaeilge, tá sé réasúnta a bheith ag súil go mbeadh an tUachtarán in ann í a labhairt Tá tiomantas ó chroí don Gaeilge riachtanach don Uachtarán, a scríobhann Prof Laura Cahillane agus Dr Seán Ó Conaill.

Má táimid dáiríre faoin nGaeilge, tá sé réasúnta a bheith ag súil go mbeadh an tUachtarán in ann í a labhairt, a scríobhann Prof Laura Cahillane agus Dr Seán Ó Conaill. jrnl.ie/6841021

Opinion: If the State is serious about the Irish language, it's reasonable to expect the President to speak it A sincere commitment to the Irish language is essential for the President, write Professor Laura Cahillane and Dr Seán Ó Conaill.

If the State is serious about the Irish language, it's reasonable to expect the President to speak it, write Professor Laura Cahillane and Dr Seán Ó Conaill. jrnl.ie/6841013

Dev: Rise and Rule S01E02 Éamon de Valera shaped modern Ireland. In this episode, David McCullagh charts his rise from revolutionary to dominant statesman in Irish public life. Watch Dev: Rise and Rule S01E02 on RTÉ Player for...

Legal historian Professor Laura Cahillane from UL's School of Law discusses De Valera's Constitution with David McCullagh on RTÉ's landmark documentary about the rise and rule of Éamon De Valera.

Watch: www.rte.ie/player/serie...

#StudyAtUL #StayCurious
@ulsol.bsky.social @laurcah.bsky.social

It seems strange not to provide any feedback. Candidate feedback is the norm in other similar jurisdictions such as Northern Ireland, England and Wales, Scotland etc

Aonach an Phuic #Puck

England: Judges’ ‘old boys’ network’ faces axe after historic ruling The secretive way judges are appointed in England via an "old boys' network" could be at an end after an historic Court of Appeal ruling. Kate Thomas, a judge with 30 years’ experience in the le...

About time too!
England: Judges’ ‘old boys’ network’ faces axe after historic ruling
www.irishlegal.com/articles/eng...

When you've the whole beach to yourselves 😎

Kerry man avoids conviction for ‘serious’ election fraud in June 2024 polls A Cahersiveen man has avoided a conviction for election fraud after he cast a vote in the local elections in June 2024 using a polling card, not in his name.

Crazy Story - so many questions
m.independent.ie/regionals/ke...

Decided to paint some book cases outside today. Pros: dries really quickly, no worries re splashing paint around. Cons: insects and dog hair sticking to paint 🤭

I imagine the Gov will be quietly ignoring this. Interesting rec on wording consultation- of course if the Gov had just listened to the concerns about the wording in the first place it might not have been such a mess!

UN committee calls for fresh Irish referendum on ‘women’s life within the home’ Ireland should vote again on replacing parts of the constitution which include “gender stereotypes about women’s roles in the home”, a UN committee has recommended.

Ireland should vote again on replacing parts of the constitution which include “gender stereotypes about women’s roles in the home”, a UN committee has recommended.

Looking forward to the judgment on this - should be very interesting...

Girls jumping waves on beach in sunset

Walking up quaint sunlit streets with hollyhock

Walking past boats

Cycling past the ruins of an abbey in the middle of a barley field

Thanks to everyone who recommended Ile de Ré for holidays in France - what a beautiful place. The ability to cycle everywhere safely was brilliant- would love to have that in Ireland. We'll definitely go back.

Surprise visitor yesterday evening 🦇

Labour proposes reforms to Attorney General’s office Labour has proposed legislation which would provide greater transparency on government legal advice and require public litigation strategy to give regard to the State's duty of care to its citizens. A...

Interesting - there is often no good reason to keep AG's advice secret. Indeed in many cases it would be in the public interest to publish it.
www.irishlegal.com/articles/lab...

Very excited after the first meeting of the Irish Judicial Studies Network this morning. We have just set up an account here: @IrishJSN.bsky.social - follow for news and events!

He needed a note?

Two small girls looking at beautiful view holding hurls, one wearing a skort, the other shorts

My cailín beag and her cara - both wearing their own choice of sporting attire - as it should be!

What a great idea!

CALL FOR PAPERS THE IRISH POLITICAL CONSTITUTION FRIDAY 28TH NOVEMBER NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, MERRION SQUARE, DUBLIN Constitutions are designed to allocate and limit state power. However, no single document can seek to comprehensively convey the array of means through which a state gives effect to these functions. While the text of Bunreacht na hÉireann and judicial pronouncements regarding its interpretation form the elemental basis of Irish constitutionalism, political forces and actors also play a pivotal role in shaping Ireland’s constitutional culture. From questions as to the constitutionality of junior ministers and the role of the Ceann Comhairle and allocation of Dáil speaking time, to referendum campaigns and debates concerning the appropriate function of the presidency, the form and function of the Irish political constitution is more salient than ever. The aim of this symposium is to bring together a multi-disciplinary group of scholars to discuss the contours of the Irish political constitution. To what extent does Ireland rely on political as distinct from legal constraints to allocate and limit state power? How does the lived political reality differ from that implied by Bunreacht na hÉireann? And how do these political and legal controls shape and interact with each other to produce a uniquely Irish form of parliamentary democracy? Proposed topics include but are not limited to: • Historical and comparative perspectives on the Irish political constitution; • Political conventions, including conventions surrounding the presidency; • Judicial understandings of the political constitution; • Parliamentary privilege, Oireachtas committees, and judicial oversight; • The political constitution and the separation of powers; • The composition of the executive; • The constitutional role of political parties; • The role of the Ceann Comhairle, the ordering of Dáil business, and political conventions; • The interse…

Am co-organising a symposium on the Irish Political Constitution with @alangreene.bsky.social and @laurcah.bsky.social Call for papers is currently live. If you have any interesting ideas on the topic, or know anyone who does, please do submit an abstract.

From Super Junior Ministers to the role of an Ceann Comhairle the political constitution is a hot topic atm. If you research in this area, consider putting in an abstract for our conference on this in Dublin on 28th November, a special ed of the Irish Jurist will follow. Abstracts due 30th May.

Call for Papers: The Irish Political Constitution.
Symposium date: Friday 28th November 2025, NUI Merrion Square.
Deadline for Abstracts: 30 May 2025
We have an agreement in principle to publish a special issue of the Irish Jurist containing papers presented at the symposium

A remarkably prescient quote from Professor John Kelly in 1967:
“If they [the people] allow villains into Government, a piece of paper will not protect them from the consequences, nor must they expect a few learned men in wigs and gowns to save the fools from the knaves they have elected.”

Leaids, when we get the weather 🤩

Ógie is still soaking up the rays 😎

Going to miss these mornings ...

FAO any scholars interested in judicial studies - I am hoping to establish an Irish Judicial Studies Network to develop this area of legal studies in Ireland and to create opportunities for research collaboration. If interested - or if you know anyone who might be interested - please let me know!

Today's office 😎

These seem to be getting worse every year. Is it time we considered an outright ban on burning land?