Large turnout at funeral of retired judge

FAMILY, FRIENDS and his legal career were described as the three great pillars of the late Mr Justice Vivian Lavan’s life by Msgr Séamus Conway, parish priest of the Church of the Assumption at Booterstown, Dublin, yesterday.

Msgr Conway, who received his remains at the Church of the Assumption, said they were giving thanks for Mr Justice Lavan’s life as husband, father, grandfather, father-in-law, brother, friend, lawyer and High Court judge.

Mr Justice Lavan, who retired early from the High Court three months ago because of ill-health, died at his home on Saturday.

He had served on the High Court bench for 21 years and was president of the Law Reform Commission from 1998 to 2000. In 1969, he was one of the four founders of the free legal aid centres whose work led to the establishment of the civil legal aid scheme.

Msgr Conway told mourners he had been privileged to visit Mr Justice Lavan over the past few weeks and give him the sacraments of the sick and Holy Communion. “He received those sacraments with faith and reverence,” he added.

Last Wednesday, he had celebrated Mass in his room, with all of his family present. “Vivian was well enough to participate and, with effort, to make some of the responses and receive Holy Communion,” he said. “It was a very special and wonderful moment.”

The chief mourners were his wife Una, sons Myles and Viv, daughters Naomi and Sarah, daughters-in-law Joke and Leanne, granddaughters Amelia and Jessica, and his sister Ann.

Former High Court colleagues among the large attendance included Mr Justice Paul Carney, Mr Justice Declan Budd, Mr Justice John Quirke, Mr Justice Roderick Murphy, Mr Justice Henry Abbott, Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne, Mr Justice John Hedigan and Mr Justice Éamon de Valera.

Also there were former High Court presidents Mr Justice Richard Johnson and Mr Justice Frederick Morris.

The Circuit Court was represented by former president Mr Justice Esmond Smyth and Judge Donagh McDonagh. Judge Bridget Reilly and Judge Patricia McNamara of the District Court were also there.

Mr Justice Lavan will be buried today in Redford Cemetery, Greystones, Co Wicklow, after 11am Mass.