Life at the bar

Leanna Byrne spoke to Law Library newcomers about their experiences as junior barristers.

Barristers Rita Bergin, Anita Finucane and Simon Matthews outside the Four Courts. Picture: Bryan Meade

Two figures in long gowns shoot through the revolving doors of Dublin's Bar Council Distillery Building, in a rush to get out of the rain.

The first, a sophisticated female barrister, is followed by a curly-haired young man with a brand new white collar and black robes. The woman, who is his master, introduces him to her colleagues who emerge from Hanley's restaurant into the main hall. After the obligatory handshakes, he puts ...