Judge Mary Devins set to retire

STEPPING DOWN Judge Mary Devins.

Ciara Galvin

MAYO District Court Judge Mary Devins looks set to retire from the bench. It is expected the well known judge, originally from Derry, will officially announce her retirement to judicial colleagues next month.
The high profile judge is currently on holidays for a number of weeks and it is thought she will officially confirm her retirement towards the end of next month, marking her twentieth year of service as a District Court judge.
Judge Devins was appointed to the District Court in October 1998, presiding over the Dublin Metropolitan District, before transferring to Mayo the following year.
The judge had previously served as a solicitor in Sligo where she still lives with husband and former Fianna FΡil TD and medical doctor, Jimmy Devins.
Having once travelled the length and breadth of the county attending District Court sittings, Judge Devins currently sits in Castlebar, Achill and Ballina District Courts, after a number of courthouses were closed permanently. She was very vocal in criticising the closures of District Courts around the county, most recently the closure of Westport District Court in 2013.
Former Longford solicitor Deirdre Gearty is currently presiding over District Number 3 in place of Judge Devins.