Robert French (Irish judge)

He was the second son of the wealthy landowner Colonel John French,[2] who was nicknamed An Tiarna Mór (the Great Lord).

While his father's wealth and connections no doubt helped him in his career, he also owed much to his mother's family, in particular his uncle George Gore, justice of the Court of Common Pleas.

He attended the local school in Roscommon, matriculated from Trinity College Dublin in 1708, took his degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1715 and was made Doctor of Law in 1730.

[3][4] In 1745 his uncle Mr Justice Gore announced that he would retire on health grounds from the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland) on condition that French replace him.

[5] However, since Gore, who suffered greatly from asthma, was clearly unable to continue with his duties, the Crown reluctantly agreed to appoint French.