Carlow man to head Dublin solicitors Association

A CARLOW native has been elected to one of the most senior representative roles in the legal profession in Dublin.

Paul Ryan, originally from Crossneen, Carlow, has been elected president of the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association (DSBA) following the organisation’s recent AGM.

Speaking after his appointment, Mr Ryan said he was “delighted and honoured” to take on the role and looked forward to a year focused on supporting members and strengthening the association.

Mr Ryan is one of three sons of James and Ann Ryan and was educated locally at Graiguecullen National School and St Mary’s Academy CBS, Carlow. He went on to study law at NUI University College Cork before qualifying as a solicitor in 2007.

Now living and working in Dublin, Mr Ryan is married to Aisling and they have two children.

Founded in 1935, the DSBA is the largest bar association in Ireland, representing over 3,500 solicitors. It is a representative body and plays an important role in supporting the professional development and interests of solicitors through education, training and networking.

Mr Ryan’s involvement with the DSBA began in the Younger Members Committee when he was a trainee solicitor. He later served as chair of the Commercial Law Committee and was subsequently elected to the association’s council.

As president, he will lead the 15-member council, which oversees more than a dozen committees covering legal practice, professional education and member engagement. The association also runs a busy programme of conferences, seminars and social events and produces legal publications and precedents used by solicitors across the country.

Mr Ryan is well known in local legal circles, having previously completed apprenticeships with Carlow firms Clarke Jeffers Solicitors and Alan Millard & Co Solicitors.