One of Ireland’s most experienced judges, Mr Justice Paul Carney, has passed away at the age of 72.

Mr Justice Carney, who retired from the Central Criminal Court in April after a five-decade career in law, was first appointed a judge in the High Court in 1991.

He went on to become Presiding Judge of the Central Criminal Court, where he oversaw some of Ireland’s most high-profile murder and rape cases.

Mr Justice Carney is survived by his wife Dr Marjorie Young and four children.

In a statement published yesterday, the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, said: “The news today of the death of Mr Justice Paul Carney, coming as it does so soon after his recent retirement, is a sad loss for his family and for the judiciary which he served with such distinction for so many years.

“He was the pre-eminent criminal law judge in the Central Criminal Court in our time, presiding in a long career over well more than a hundred murder and rape trials. He did so with exemplary fairness throughout, a fact acknowledged by not only by practitioners but in many instances also by those standing trial before him.

“He will be greatly missed, particularly by his colleagues in the High Court, who held him in such high esteem.”

Mr Justice Carney was hailed by Ken Murphy, director general of the Law Society of Ireland, as “one of Ireland’s greatest ever criminal judges”.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald added: “Mr Justice Carney was a judge of exceptional ability who made a huge contribution to the High Court bench, in particular in presiding over many high profile criminal law trials.

“I know he will be greatly missed and sadly he did not get to enjoy the benefits of a long and well-deserved retirement.”