30/01/2026
Don't Miss Out!
Freelance Forum Spring 2026
with a focus on legal reporting issues, rules of contempt, defamation law etc.
Saturday 21 March 2026
Criminal Courts of Justice
Parkgate Street
Dublin 8
NUJ members/students €5, others €20
Sign up today, and Share to help spread the word.
Organised by Dublin Freelance NUJ and the Courts Service with support from Coimisiún na Meán.
With particular thanks to Gerry Curran, media relations advisor for the Courts Service.
https://dublinfreelance.org/freelance-forum-spring-2026/
https://ti.to/freelance-forum-spring-2026/freelance-forum-spring-2026
Opening Address: 10.00AM – 10.45AM
Investigative Journalism and the Lyra McKee Bursary
Susan McKay, press ombudsman
Session 1: 10.45AM – 11:25 AM
The Do’s and Don’ts of Court Reporting
Paul Reynolds, RTÉ crime correspondent
Session 2: 11:40 AM – 12:20 PM
Reporting on Quasi-judicial bodies
Stephen Bourke – Court reporter
Session 3: 12:20 AM – 1:00 PM
The media as the eyes and the ears of the Public
Gerry Curran, Media Relations Advisor, The Courts Service
Lunch 1.00PM
Sandwiches will be provided, or lunch is available in nearby cafes and coffee shops. Wherever you go, take the time to introduce yourself to someone new, and catch up with old faces. Networking is also a key aim of the Freelance Forum.
Session 4: 2.00PM – 2.35PM
Far and Away: Pitching Overseas
Sarah McDonald, freelance journalist
Emmet Ryan, freelance journalist
Session 5: 2.35PM – 3.10PM
Dealing with vicarious trauma
Leona O’Neill, head of Undergraduate Journalism at Ulster University
Session 6: 3.25PM – 4.00PM
Defamation Law
John Maher BL, barrister at law
Closing Address 4:00PM – 4.30PM
“The relationship between the Courts, Democracy and the Press”
The Honourable Mr Justice David Barniville, President of the High Court
