Bar of Ireland names next chief executive
The Bar of Ireland has appointed Shirley Coulter as its new chief executive, after an open and competitive recruitment process.
She joins the barristers’ representative body from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), where she has served as chief executive since 2020.
Coulter was previously the Bar’s director of communications and policy from 2015 to 2020. She will take up her new role in February 2026.
Chair of the Bar Council Seán Guerin SC said that the new chief executive had “deep knowledge of the organisation, a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the profession, and a proven record of effective leadership in representing members’ interests”.
Coulter’s appointment follows the planned departure of Ciara Murphy, who has served as chief executive of the Bar of Ireland since 2014.