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Investigates Investigates Money Diaries The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates Daft.ie Property Allianz Home The 42 Sport TG4 Entertainment The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories L-R: Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Jim O'Callaghan, and Ivana Bacik, all qualified barristers.Alamy Final Stretch 'Fine Gael should know better': Dáil's legal eagles weigh in on party's attack on Connolly Heather Humphreys said she ‘never tried to capitalise on somebody’s misfortune’, referring to Catherine Connolly’s work as a barrister during the economic crash. 8.50am, 20 Oct 2025 Share options LAST UPDATE FINE GAEL HAS come in for a battering today as the party faces criticism for its attack on presidential candidate Catherine Connolly’s previous work as a barrister. Its candidate Heather Humphreys has focused in on juxtaposing her career as a Credit Union manager with Connolly’s work as a barrister during the economic crash. Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Humphreys said she worked as a credit union manager before getting into politics and alluded to Connolly representing banks in home repossession cases during the crash. “I have always tried to help people. I’ve never tried to capitalise on somebody’s misfortune and to make money out of it. And that’s the difference – and I have a very, very clear record on that,” she said. This was followed by a video shared online by Fine Gael entitled ‘Catherine Connolly’s hypocrisy’, during which a voiceover highlights the party’s questions over the presidential frontrunner’s previous career. The video, which lasts for nearly three minutes, includes footage of Connolly’s previous Dáil contributions on housing and the banks along with clips of money and housing estates. Want to catch up on the race to the Áras? Find our brand-new election centre here. Speaking to reporters in Galway yesterday, Connolly said: “The campaign has reached a new low by Fine Gael. Absolutely a new low. Catherine Connolly's hypocrisy. pic.twitter.com/46ZE30e6eY— Fine Gael (@FineGael) October 19, 2025 “I have addressed this over and over again and for the candidate for the presidency to misuse that in the way that she has is just a new low. It’s just a new low.” Humphreys doubled-down on her line of attack this morning. Speaking on this morning’s Joe Finnegan Show on Shannonside Northern Sound, Humphreys was asked if she was “really convinced” that Connolly was ”trying to make money out of people’s misfortune”. Humphreys denied that she said this and added that she had “outlined” her own position. “I worked in a Credit Union during the financial crisis,” said Humphreys. “I chose to work there, I helped people, and it was not easy.” She said people who lost their jobs “sat in front of my desk and cried”. “I saw those people, I saw their faces, and I saw what it was like for them when they thought they were going to lose their house,” said Humphreys. When it was put to Humphreys that she had called into question Connolly’s role as a barrister, she replied: “I am not attacking Catherine’s work as a barrister, I’m highlighting her hypocrisy as a politician. “She criticised the same banks that she repossessed homes for. “I’m pointing out the hypocrisy of working for the banks in the courts to repossess houses and saying something different in the council chamber in Galway or in the Dáil chamber.” Humphreys then said that “barristers can claim conflict of interest to refuse a case, Catherine didn’t do that, that’s her choice.” “What I want to know is, how many family homes did Catherine repossess? These are fair questions, she just needs to answer the question.” ‘Craven attack on rule of law’ The Fine Gael video has been criticised by a number of opposition TDs on social media, with Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore likening it to “the Trump playbook”. In a statement, Labour leader Ivana Bacik said that as a public representative who practiced as a barrister, she was “outraged” by the video. “Fine Gael should know better,” Bacik said. “This attack video is not only a new political low – a new level of ‘nasty’ in this presidential campaign. It also represents a craven and dangerous attack on a fundamental principle of the rule of law in our democratic system.” She said it was “utterly wrong and misconceived” of Fine Gael to mount “this sustained nasty attack” upon Connolly because she practised as a barrister. Advertisement Both Connolly and the Bar Council of Ireland have repeatedly highlighted the cab-rank rule. Barristers operate under the rule which means they are precluded from refusing instructions on the ground that the nature of the case, or the conduct, opinions or beliefs of a client may be unacceptable to themselves. The Bar Council said this rule is “central to trust in the Irish legal system and the rule of law”. Speaking today, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan similarly defended the profession. A barrister himself, O’Callaghan was once Gerry Adams’s legal representative. “Just because a lawyer takes on a case for a client doesn’t mean that the lawyer is endorsing the behaviour or opinions of that client – they’re simply providing legal services to the client,” he said. Adding that he wouldn’t be wading into discussion on the presidential election, he said, “can I say, however, I ‘ve noticed in recent years, from all sides of the political spectrum, criticism being directed at lawyers because of the clients who they represent. “I don’t think it’s correct or fair to criticise lawyers because of the actions of their clients,” he said. However, Fine Gael Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, who is also a qualified barrister, said Connolly should have been more “transparent” in her Dáil contributions on her previous line of work. “The issue here is not the work of a barrister – it is right and proper that everyone should be afforded representation,” Carroll MacNeill said. “The issue here is Deputy Connolly’s lack of transparency when speaking so forcefully as a TD or as a councillor on matters such as repossessions, banks and evictions. “Why did she not disclose it? “Time and again Deputy Connolly stood in the Dáil and spoke on these issues never once declaring her role – she was not silent on the issues, why was she silent on her role?” the Health Minister said. She said that the cab rank rule allows barristers to refuse work if there is a conflict of interest – “so how did Catherine Connolly’s public statements align with her professional work, which she clearly chose to accept as is her complete right? “It is the public’s right to know why she did not disclose this. It is also expected of anyone who wants to be our President.” Sinn Féin’s justice spokesperson Matt Carthy said he welcomed O’Callaghan’s comments defending the legal profession today. “The attacks on the legal profession from Fine Gael have gone too far. It risks damaging our judicial system,” he said. “It is time for the party to clarify if they support the right of those before courts to legal representation which is crucial to upholding the right to a fair trial.” ‘Unfair criticism’ Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland this morning, James McDermott BL said it’s the duty of a barrister to accept instructions in their area of practice. “In the same way, at the end of a Saturday night when you want a taxi home, the taxi driver has to take the first person in the queue. They can’t say ‘The fourth person in the queue has a longer fare, I’ll earn more money out of that’,” the barrister said. Barristers should not be identified with their clients or suffer adverse consequences as a result of being so identified, and the Bar Council made that very clear in their recent statement. Asked about Humphrey’s comments in the Sunday Independent, McDermott said he believed it was an “unfair criticism”. “If you practice in criminal law on the defence side, you might have to defend a bank robber or somebody who’s allegedly committed an assault. If you do that in your professional practice, you wouldn’t accuse the barrister of somehow being sympathetic to bank robbers or sympathetic to people who go around assaulting people.” He said barristers “owe a duty of confidentiality to their clients” and don’t talk about their own cases, adding that it was “unfortunate” that the matter was being focused on in the campaign. “I think it’s important for the country that everybody who is involved in litigation has access to a lawyer, and that lawyers aren’t picking and choosing cases on the basis that they’re sympathetic to a particular position.” The campaign trail Today, Connolly is taking part in a ‘youth canvass day’ to call on young people to vote on Friday, which will culminate in a ‘Ceol for Connolly’ concert at Dublin’s Vicar Street at 6pm this evening. Meanwhile, following her interview on Northern Sound this morning, Humphreys will be canvassing in Gorey, Co Wexford at 2pm this afternoon. Virgin Media One will also broadcast The Big Interview with Humphreys at 10pm. The final presidential debate will take place on Prime Time on RTÉ One tomorrow evening. Recent polling has placed Connolly strokes ahead of Humphreys after Jim Gavin’s exit from the race, despite Fianna Fáil supporters defecting to support Humphreys. Additional reporting by Emma Hickey Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Support The Journal View 187 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “'Fine Gael should know better': Dáil's legal eagles weigh in on party's attack on Connolly”. 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