Son pays brief tribute after announcing resignation

A constant stream of visitors, including some of the State's best-known names from the legal, sporting and cultural worlds, called to the O'Flaherty family home at Herbert Park, Dublin, on Friday and Saturday, in the hours before Mr Justice Hugh O'Flaherty resigned.

One of the first to arrive was Kathleen Watkins, singer and wife of the broadcaster, Gay Byrne, who are personal friends of the O'Flahertys. Another close friend, Ms Celia Larkin, also called.

The barrister, Mr Colm Allen, and the public relations consultant, Mr Pat Heneghan - recently in the news for work on behalf of a witness at the Flood tribunal - left the house before noon, returning a short time later.

Other friends from the Law Library included Mr Donal O'Donnell SC and the former attorney general, Mr John Rogers. Mr Rogers was Mr Justice O'Flaherty's principal legal adviser.

Also there was the vice-chairman of the Employment Appeals Tribunal, Mr Dermot McCarthy.

Among the well-wishers were the Kerry footballer, Mick O'Connell; the solicitor and former captain of the Dublin football team, Mr Tony Hanahoe; the solicitor, Mr John Rochford, and the retired head of the Garda Murder Squad, Mr John Courtney.

Shortly before 3 p.m. on Saturday Mr Hugh O'Flaherty jnr emerged from the house, dressed casually in jeans and a cotton shirt, and drove off in the family Volkswagen. Returning just over 11/2 hours later he entered the house briefly before emerging to confirm that he had delivered his father's resignation to Aras an Uachtarain.

He read from a prepared statement, pointing out that his father would not be giving any further interviews or posing for photographs, and added: "We would appreciate if you could help with our privacy after that."

Almost as an aside, he added a personal tribute to his father.

"When I have difficult decisions in life, I always think what he would do in the circumstances. I don't always necessarily do what I think he would do. I tend to take the easy option. But I've never known him to take an easy option and he's for ever trying to do good."

Keeping a single copy of the statement, he then returned to the house.