The year kicked off with the Antonia O’Callaghan Memorial Moot, an exhibition moot showcasing the skills of experienced mooters. This year, Benjamin Williamson and Kyle Egan were chosen to moot before Mr Justice Anthony Barr, Ms Justice Nessa Cahill and Mr Justice Conor Dignam, with Benjamin Williamson prevailing in a tight contest.
The King’s Inns annual Maidens Moot, inviting all students with an interest and no previous mooting experience to jump in and get their feet wet was held between October 2025 and January 2026. The competition typically gathers about forty participants, and this year was no different. The Maidens Moot final took place in the King’s Inns between Carrie Ann O’Kelly and Eoin Ryan, before Mr Justice Barry O’Donnell, Mr Justice Mark Dunne and Ms Justice Denise Brett. It was an exciting day out for both parties but ultimately Carrie Ann O’Kelly was successful in her role as Appellant.
The Maidens Moot often acts as a springboard for those interested in participating in the Brian Walsh Memorial Moot competition, which is the leading domestic moot run by the King’s Inns and takes place from January to May. The competition is renowned for the final being held in the Four Courts, and many a successful barrister and thereafter, judge, has featured in the final round. The mooters in this year’s Brian Walsh final were Colman Monaghan and Adam Connolly, and they were adjudicated by Mr Justice Brian O’Moore of the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Alexander Owens of the Court of Appeal, and Ms Justice Marguerite Bolger of the High Court. The fight was close between the finalists, but Colman Monaghan was ultimately successful in securing his name a spot on the hallowed salver.
However, it was neither Adam Connolly nor Colman Monaghan’s last day out in the King’s Inns Mooting Calendar. Adam Connolly was joined by Niko Kawonczyk, Hannah Smullen, and Katie O'Brien in this year’s Eoin Higgins Memorial Moot, a cross-border moot that takes place between the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS) from Queen’s University Belfast, and the King’s Inns. This year it was the King’s Inns’ turn to host and the final took place in February in the Four Courts, before Mr Justice Paul McLaughlin of the High Court of Northern Ireland (in the chair), Mr Justice Gerard Hogan of the Supreme Court; and Ms Justice Ann Power of the Court of Appeal. The King’s Inns team were the winners on the day, with Adam Connolly taking home the prize for best individual speaker. The friendly spirit of the competition was celebrated in a dining held at the King’s Inns following the final.
The King’s Inns mooting year wrapped with the ICC IBA Moot Court Competition in the Hague, in which the King’s Inns team was successful in advancing to the Quarter Finals, after placing fourth overall in the preliminary rounds, involving over 90 teams from across the world. The King’s Inns team comprised Colman Monaghan, Saoirse Hyland, Caoimhe Ebbs, Ross Malervy, and Muireann Ní Shé. Colman Monaghan was awarded an individual prize as prosecution speaker, and the team also received a runner up award for Best Government team, led by Caoimhe Ebbs and Ross Malervy. The hard work of several months was shaken off by the participants at the infamous beach party in Beach Club Wow at the end of the week.
Following a very successful year, the mooting calendar for 2025-2026 has come to an end. Much has been learned, plenty more has been celebrated, and the Mooting Coordinators are anticipating a full throttle start in September 2026.