Skip to main content

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Trinity Menu Trinity Search

School of Law

FLAC: 50th Anniversary Celebration



  • Date of event
    • Thursday, 21 March 2019
  • Time
    • 7 - 8 pm
  • Venue
    • The Long Room, Old Library


    In 1968 four law students—David Byrne, Denis McCullough, Ian Candy and Vivian Lavan - attended a conference on legal education in Trinity College Dublin. They agreed that law students should gain practical experience of the law as a social reality, while helping their community by sharing their specialist knowledge with those who would otherwise be unable to afford it. To achieve this, they established the first Free Legal Advice Centre in 1969 in Mountjoy Square, Dublin.

    To celebrate 50 years of incredible work, Trinity FLAC are delighted to welcome the surviving founders of FLAC back to where it all began to share their insight and experiences. We will also be joined on the evening by the current CEO of FLAC to show how far the organisation has come.

    Since then, FLAC has helped countless families and individuals with their legal difficulties. There are now 66 FLAC clinics around Ireland, mainly based in and facilitated by the Citizens Information Services and with the commitment of almost 600 volunteer lawyers. As well as providing free legal advice and information, FLAC continues to campaign on a wide range of social issues including social welfare, immigration law, and equality.

    We will be joined on the evening by:

    • David Byrne SC, founder of FLAC. Mr Byrne served as Attorney General from 1997 to 1999 and then as European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection from 1999 to 2004.
    • Ian Candy, founder of FLAC. Mr Candy worked with the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions before being appointed a magistrate in Hong Kong in 1985. He is currently a member of the Torture Claims Appeals Board in Hong Kong.
    • Denis McCullough SC, founder of FLAC. Mr McCullough was called to the Bar of Ireland in 1971 and became a Senior Counsel in 1985. He currently works in the area of Tort and Personal Injury Law, specialising in the field of Medical Law.
    • Eilis Barry, CEO of FLAC. Prior to joining FLAC, Ms Barry was a barrister specialising in all aspects of employment law, anti-discrimination and equality.
    • Alumni and friends of the College are more than welcome to attend. To register please email flac@csc.tcd.ie