Taoiseach Micheál Martin launches Dr Niamh Howlin’s book marking the 50th Anniversary of the Offfice of the DPP
(L to R) Dr Niamh Howlin, Taoiseach Micheál Martin , DPP Catherine Pierse and Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan
To mark 50 years since the establishment of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, a specially-commissioned book written by Dr Niamh Howlin was launched by Taoiseach Micheál Martin on 27 March 2025. Former DPPs Claire Loftus and James Hamilton, along with the family of the first DPP, Eamonn Barnes and current DPP Catherine Pierse, were joined by the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, Attorney General Rossa Fanning and current and former members of staff in the Office of the DPP.
Speaking at the event in Iveagh House, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Catherine Pierse, noted that the independent Office of the DPP was established 'to strengthen public confidence in the rule of law'. Dr Howlin emphasised the importance of reflecting on the past in order to deal with the present and plan for the future and the Taoiseach observed that 'in a time when well established and once respected legal, societal and international norms seem under siege from many quarters, the principles and instincts represented by this office and the people who inhabit it could not be more valuable, or more important to pay tribute to.'
(L to R) Head of Facilities Management Joe Mulligan; former Deputy DPP Barry Donoghue; DPP Catherine Pierse; former DPP James Hamilton; Dr Niamh Howlin; Dr Sean Smith; former DPP Claire Loftus; former Deputy DPP Michael Liddy
The Taoiseach remarked that Dr Howlin's book 'shines a light on the Office’s many challenges, milestones and ultimately its place at the heart of Ireland’s criminal justice system.' The project has also involved a collaboration between Dr Howlin, the Office of the DPP and the National Archives, Ireland, to digitise a number of key documents relating to the establishment and evolution of the Office of the DPP.
Niamh Howlin, A History of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (2025) is also available on open access (opens in a new window)here.