THE CHILDREN'S COURT:LEGAL REPRESENTATIVES for the Health Service Executive (HSE) swept into the Children's Court in wigs and black gowns, carrying trolley suitcases and stacks of files.
It was a startling sight in the normally informal atmosphere of court 55, a room not much bigger than the average family sitting room.
In addition to a senior counsel and junior counsel, several suited HSE officials and observers crowded into the room which was suddenly crammed to capacity.
The HSE's legal team had arrived on foot of a summons from Judge Clare Leonard last week who was unhappy at the care options available for a 12-year-old boy at serious risk.
The small child sat over in the corner of the room in a grey hoodie with his arms folded, while his legs dangled from the side of the chair, not long enough to touch the ground.
"Is that chair alright for you? Do you want to stand?" the judge asked.
The boy shook his head.
"Given the number of people in the room, judge, perhaps it might be better if only those directly involved were here," said the boy's solicitor, Sarah Molloy.
"I was concerned it might faze him, judge," she said, as the courtroom emptied.
"I'm not sure anything would faze him," the judge smirked, looking to the boy.
The boy's behaviour was spiralling out of control.
He had been arrested three times in the space of a week in Dublin's north inner city, the court had heard on Friday.
He had tested positive for cocaine and cannabis and was being picked up by gardaí in the early hours of the morning for public order and theft offences.
His family was finding it difficult to cope.
There was no free place at St Michael's remand centre in Finglas where his psychological and psychiatric needs could be assessed.
Instead, he was placed in Oberstown, a detention school more suited to young offenders in their mid-teens.
When the judge tried to place the boy in emergency care on Friday, she was told the only option the HSE could offer was an out-of-hours hostel near Dublin's city centre.
Furthermore, because the boy was facing criminal proceedings, there were legal obstacles in forcing the HSE to provide a care place for him.
"The situation is so urgent and of such importance that we need to have the person who has ultimate responsibility for childcare before the court," the judge had said.
As she presided over the case yesterday, a garda told her the boy had come to the attention of gardaí yet again on Tuesday night.
"He was arrested again outside the Harbourmaster Bar near the IFSC at 9pm, judge," the garda said.
"How did he get there from his home?" the judge asked, given that the boy's address was several miles away.
"I'm told that he was in town with his uncle during the day and he absconded," said the boy's solicitor.
"He was supposed to be in the care and custody of his parents. I'm surprised that he was out at 9pm at night," the judge noted, looking towards the boy's father, who sat close by dressed in a black-and-white shirt.
"Given his age and his size, I'm at a loss to know how he's getting around the city," she continued
The boy remained impassive, his arms still folded, staring into the middle distance.
His solicitor, Ms Molloy, told the judge that the relevant parties - the HSE, gardaí and the boy's family - had come to a shared understanding of how to deal with the case.
The gardaí agreed to strike out the charges facing the boy - this would allow the HSE intervene and arrange a care placement.
The judge went through the motions and struck out the offence.
The HSE's senior counsel, Felix McEnroy, who had taken off his wig and gown, spoke with an air of satisfaction.
"The effect now is the civil side of the HSE can intervene . . ." he said.
"Yesss!" the boy said, as his face lit up.
"And I think we've just avoided 2½ hours of legal argument," Mr McEnroy chuckled.
The boy got up from his seat, smiling, and scanned the faces of the crowded room for a reaction.
His father, with tired eyes, smiled back.