(1932-07-20) 20 July 1932 (age 91) Castleknock, Dublin, Ireland
Political party
Fianna Fáil
Spouse
Terry Keane
(m. 1962; div. 1996)
Relations
Diarmuid Gavin (son-in-law)
Children
3
Education
Blackrock College
Alma mater
University College Dublin
King's Inns
Ronan Colman Keane (born 20 July 1932[1]) is a retired Irish judge who served as Chief Justice of Ireland from 2000 to 2004, a Judge of the Supreme Court from 1996 to 2004 and a Judge of the High Court from 1979 to 1996.[2]
Keane was educated at Blackrock College, Dublin, and later graduated from University College Dublin (UCD) in 1953, with a BA in Modern History. He was called to the Bar in 1954[2] and became a Senior Counsel in 1970.[2] He was appointed as a High Court judge in July 1979.[2] He was head of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Stardust fire in 1981,[2] and chairman of the Law Reform Commission from 1987 to 1992.[2] He has published many legal texts and papers, and participated in Council of Europe programmes developing legal systems in Post-Communist Europe.[2]
He was elevated to the Supreme Court in 1996,[2] becoming Chief Justice in 2000. Chief Justice Keane received an Honorary Doctorate from UCD in 2001,[3] and has been an adjunct professor at Trinity College Dublin since his retirement.
In 1962, Keane married Therese O'Donnell, who, as Terry Keane, became a fashion journalist and later a social diarist.[4] They had three children together, and later became close to Terry's daughter, who had been adopted.[4][dead link] The couple separated in the 1980s but remained amicable.[4] Their son Tim died suddenly in 2004.[5] In 1999, Terry revealed on The Late Late Show her affair beginning in 1972 with sometime Taoiseach Charles Haughey.[4] Ronan and Terry's daughter Justine Keane is married to Diarmuid Gavin, the Irish garden designer and television personality.
Keane was for some years the Independent Chairman of the Appeals board of the Turf Club of Ireland.[6]
^"Keane, Ronan, (born 20 July 1932), Chief Justice of Ireland, 2000–04". Who's Who. 1 December 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U22683.
^ abcdefgh
"Fellows and Scholars 2007: Ronan Keane (Hon. Mr Justice)". Trinity College Dublin. 2007. Archived from the original on 27 November 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
^"UCD News" (PDF). UCD. Autumn–Winter 2001. p. 12. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
^ abcd"Diarist who later regretted her TV revelation of affair". The Irish Times. 7 June 2008. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
^Mallon, Charles; Jim Cusack (11 July 2004). "Son of Chief Justice and Terry Keane found dead in flat". Sunday Independent. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
^Rules of racing and Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Rules(PDF) (Amendments & alternations up to and including 27 March 2008 ed.). Curragh, County Kildare: Irish Turf Club and Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
Ronan Colman Keane (born 20 July 1932) is a retired Irish judge who served as Chief Justice of Ireland from 2000 to 2004, a Judge of the Supreme Court...
1939, Keane studied medicine at Trinity College, Dublin. She dropped out without taking a degree and later married a young barrister, RonanKeane. The...
reported that the fire was arson. A tribunal of inquiry under Justice RonanKeane, which held its first public meeting 12 days after the fire, concluded...
Initially, Keane was turned down from the Ireland schoolboys squad after a trial in Dublin; one explanation from former Ireland coach and scout Ronan Scally...
married to Justine Keane, daughter of RonanKeane (a former Chief Justice of Ireland) and social columnist and fashion journalist Terry Keane, who separated...
until his death. In May 1999, Terry Keane, gossip columnist and once wife of former Chief Justice of Ireland RonanKeane, revealed on The Late Late Show that...
Redemptorists Centre at Marianella by the Former Chief Justice of Ireland, RonanKeane In 2019, McAleese published Children's Rights & Obligations in Canon...
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) Mary Robinson Previously served as President of the High Court. 9 RonanKeane 1 June 2000 23 July 2004 Bertie Ahern (25th Gov.) Mary McAleese Previously...
This is a list of songs released and unreleased by English band Keane. "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (Band Aid 20, Chaplin and Rice-Oxley's contribution)...
co-editor of the later editions of "J.M. Kelly: The Irish Constitution") RonanKeane (former Chief Justice) John M. Kelly (late Attorney-General and author...
Charlie McCreevy (FF) Chief Justice: Liam Hamilton (until 1 June 2000) RonanKeane (from 1 June 2000) Dáil: 28th Seanad: 21st 3 February – The gangster...
Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh William FitzGerald Tom O'Higgins Thomas Finlay Liam Hamilton RonanKeane John L. Murray Susan Denham Frank Clarke Donal O'Donnell...
Harney (PD) Minister for Finance: Charlie McCreevy (FF) Chief Justice: RonanKeane Dáil: 29th Seanad: 22nd 21 January – The Spire of Dublin on O'Connell...
Harney (PD) Minister for Finance: Charlie McCreevy (FF) Chief Justice: RonanKeane Dáil: 28th (until 25 April 2002) 29th (from 6 June 2002) Seanad: 21st...
6 March 1979 9 April 1979 26 July 1980 Fire at Stardust Club, Artane RonanKeane 18 February 1981 19 February 1981 20 February 1981 12 November 1982 Kerry...
Ireland Appointed by Mary Robinson Preceded by Thomas Finlay Succeeded by RonanKeane Judge of the Supreme Court In office 1 March 1994 – 1 June 2000 Nominated...
September 2004) Brian Cowen (FF) (from 29 September 2004) Chief Justice: RonanKeane (until 2004) John L. Murray (from 23 July 2004) Dáil: 29th Seanad: 22nd...
cricketer. 7 July – Eileen Lemass, Fianna Fáil TD and MEP. 20 July – RonanKeane, Chief Justice of Ireland. 2 August – Peter O'Toole, actor (died 2013)...
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