Not If He Opened the Gates of Heaven For Me

would Judge Neilan share a platform with Justice Minister Michael McDowell, according to yesterday’s front page Longford Leader story. (dated tomorrow!)
The story relates to the proposed opening of the renovated Longford Courthouse and the district court judge’s refusal to attend if McDowell was there.
Residents of Longford are used to such bizarre outbursts from our local law keeper – apparently this particular animosity towards the justice minister stems from Judge Neilan’s 2004 statement that he would jail all drunk drivers for 1 week pending sentence. Predictably the justice minister pointed out the illegality of such an act and such comments were dubbed by Neilan as being made to “intimidate and humiliate him”.
Of all the Neilan stories, and there are many, my favourite was his threat to rescind all pub licences in Ballymahon during the foot and mouth disease crisis to help curb the spread of the agrarian disease. Thankfully he didn’t get a chance to try the legality of such an extreme, but no doubt well meaning, measure to protect the agricultural interests of the locality.