Distinguished legal career brings Michelle back to her beloved home county

Advocacy was a constant for Michelle O’Çonnell when she was young and has remained so throughout her legal career.

That distinguished career has brought her to the prestigious position of County Registrar of her home county, a role she looks forward to embracing.

Being an advocate for people has always been a driving force in her professional career, a trait that was nurtured in her home growing up and at the Presentation Secondary School in Thurles, where Michelle was a hugely influential figure in public debating.

Her late mother, Eleanor, instilled such values and the benefit of pursuing a professional career. She encouraged Michelle to go down the road of being a solicitor, recognising early on her daughter's interest in issues of public concern and her interest in speaking out to represent and support people.

Michelle, from Thurles, was appointed to the post of County Registrar for Tipperary in August, taking over from the previous incumbent, James Seymour.

She is extremely proud to take up the post in Tipperary, having served as the County Registrar in Waterford City and County.

Michelle will be based in Clonmel.

She is a member of the well-known O’Connell family who operated the popular Park Avenue restaurant in Thurles for a long number of years.

It is no surprise, given the strong link between the O’Çonnell family and their establishment located a stone's throw from the home of GAA Semple Stadium, that Michelle is a passionate supporter of Tipperary hurling.

The Tipperary County Registrar has great memories as a young person of working in the business set up by her dad Derek and her mother, Eleanor, who passed away in 1998 when Michelle was fifteen years old. She had the pleasure of serving the players and everybody associated with the team regularly every week.

“We were so close to it all. The county board meetings were held in the Park, the players had their meals there, and they would drop in for tea before they would train after coming down from Dublin. We would feed the Tipp team, and also the Waterford teams over the years, and it was great to have them also, as Dad was from Dungarvan. The business was a big hub for the GAA,” said Michelle.

“I would have served so many of the players and managers over the years. It was an honour to be that close to the team. Ironically, we did not get to see many of the matches as we were always working and preparing to serve the team after the matches. They were all just in your house, and it was a great buzz,” said Michelle.

Eleanor, a native of Thurles, and Derek started the Park Avenue Hotel business in 1981, so Michelle, her sister Louise, who runs the Runnerbean cafe in Thurles, and brother Mark, who lives in Clare, grew up in the hospitality business, always on hand to help out.

“Being so involved in the everyday work of the place gave me a great insight into community and people, “ which, said Michelle, gave her that understanding and connection with people, something that transfers over into the legal sphere where she likes to help people navigate a system they might not be familiar with.

“There is a link between hospitality and the legal environment in that both are a service and it is about being aware of people’s needs,” said Michelle.

Michelle is a past pupil of the Presentation Primary and Secondary School.

“I was always involved in debating and pubic speaking in secondary school. I was on the student council so I always expressed a view, and I wanted people to be heard and to be represented,” said Michelle.

She remembers her English teacher Ms Molloy and Irish teacher Ms Cahill being so encouraging, and both of them were passionate advocates for women to become professionals.

“I always had an interest in law, and my mother always told me that it would be an honourable profession to pursue and said she thought it would be a good career for me,” said Michelle.

She decided to do a more general degree first and did Commerce in UCD before going on to do a postgraduate in legal studies in DIT.

Michelle did the entrance exam in Blackhall Place and did her professional training for two years before returning to Tipperary, and she became a fully qualified solicitor in 2009.

She established Michelel O’Connell Solicitors in 2014 and in 2015 she was appointed State Solicitor for North Tipperary, a post she held until 2024 when she was appointed County Registrar for Waterford City and County.

“It was a huge honour for me to be appointed State Solicitor for North Tipperary and I loved working with the legal practitioners, the Gardai and the DPP office,” said Michelle.

The Victims of Crime Bill came in around that time and Michelle said she found it fulfilling to work with victims of crime and guide them through the system and support them, as it would be an environment many of them would not have been familiar with.

“You met the victims of crime and it can be a very daunting experience for them to come into a courthouse for the first time. They would not be used to being in that situation, so you try and help them,” said Michelle.

When the opportunity came for the County Registrar post in Waterford, Michelle decided to go for it as it was a post she always had been interested in.

When she was successful in securing the County Registrar post in Waterford Michelle was obliged to close her practice in Thurles which saw her practice as the State Solicitor for North Tipperary, combined with working as a specialist representing guardians advocating for the voice of the child all over the country.

In her quasi-judicial role as County Registrar, Michelle will sit on alternate Mondays in dealing with civil law and family law matters in Nenagh and in Clonmel Courthouse where she will be based.

“I applied to get the Tipperary job as I knew James Seymor was leaving. There was no greater honour for me than to take on this role as County Registrar and Returning Officer in my home county, its the place where I grew up, where I went to school and its where I live and raising my family.I am truly honoured,” she said.

Michelle is married to Frank Tuohy, a teacher in Holycross National School where their two children, Eleanor and Tom, attend school. The couple met through their shared interest in the Thurles Musical Society.

In her time serving in Waterford as the County Registrar, Michelle was Returning Officer end enjoyed the variety of elections that took place.

She is looking forward to fulfilling her role as County Registrar as Returning Officer in her home county at the next General Election.

“As Returning Officer, the General Election is the big one. It will be a very proud moment for me to stand at the podium in my former school with the Presentation Crest on display and announce the results of a General Election in my home county,” said Michelle.

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