Ms Phelan was elected in July to succeed Maura McNally SC in the prominent role, which she will hold from today until 11 September 2023.

Denise Brett SC is now the vice-chair of the Bar Council while Séamus Clarke SC is the treasurer.

The remaining Inner Bar practitioners on the Bar Council are Mark J Dunne SC, Seán Guerin SC, Timothy Harley SC, Murray Johnson SC, Brendan Kirwan SC, Darren Lehane SC, Seán Ó hUallacháin SC.

The representatives from the Outer Bar are Deirdre Brown BL, Mema Byrne BL, Aoife Farrelly BL, Cian P Kelly BL, Roderick Maguire BL, Lewis Mooney BL, Paul Gunning BL, Michael D Hourigan BL, Aoife O’Leary BL, Catherine White BL.

There are also four co-optees, who are Nessa Cahill SC, Jessica Bartak-Healy BL, Sean O’Sullivan BL and Tanya Smith BL.

A native of Kilkenny, Ms Phelan was called to the Bar in 1996, having previously qualified and practised as a pharmacist for a number of years, qualifying from Trinity College Dublin in 1988.

She was appointed senior counsel and called to the Inner Bar in 2013. She was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales in 2019 and is a member of Middle Temple, as well as being a qualified mediator and arbitrator.

Her practice spans the South Eastern Circuit and Dublin, with a broad High Court practice that includes personal injury law, child/family law, crime, judicial review/non-jury, chancery, probate and mental health law.