Patrick A. Barrett#14002

Patrick A. Barrett, BL

Barrister, The Bar of Ireland
Patrick is a practising barrister on the South-West and Cork Circuits, with a litigation practice spanning complex civil, employment, family, and criminal matters. They appears before the Circuit Court, Labour Court, Workplace Relations Commission, the PRTB, and other forums of statutory and equitable jurisdiction, acting in disputes involving tort, equity, probate, injunctions, protected disclosures, medical negligence, and regulatory oversight. Patrick also advises on a pro bono basis through FLAC, reflecting an embedded commitment to access to justice.

Patrick was called to the Bar in 2021, having been awarded the degree of Barrister-at-Law by the Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He also holds both an LL.M (Business Law) and a BCL from University College Cork. At postgraduate level, specialised in intellectual property, data protection, competition law, and technology regulation; areas that now inform advisory and discovery work in large-scale, multi-jurisdictional commercial and IP litigation.

During devilling, Patrick worked across litigation including judicial review, defamation, end-of-life and terminal medical negligence claims, Coroner’s Court work, and criminal prosecution on behalf of the State. That experience combined courtroom advocacy, urgent interlocutory relief, and detailed written opinion work. In parallel with practice, he acts as an employment law consultant, producing contemporary legal analysis and delivering continuing professional education to HR and industrial relations professionals.

Patrick is currently drafting two further professional books scheduled for publication in early 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Contributed to

2

Ireland—Employment status of agency workers
Ireland—Employment status of agency workers
Practice Notes

This Practice Note provides an overview of the legal framework governing agency workers in Ireland. It considers the operation of the Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Act 2012 (Ireland), which transposes EU Directive 2008/104/EC on Temporary Agency Work, and explains how the legislation guarantees equal treatment for agency workers. It also outlines key Irish and comparatively, English case law, and sets out practical steps to help employers ensure compliance with Irish employment law.

Ireland—Harassment in the workplace
Ireland—Harassment in the workplace
Practice Notes

This Practice Note distils key consideration for employers under s 14A of the Employment Equality Act 1998 (Ireland), as amended, SI No 208/2012 Employment Equality Act 1998 (Code of Practice) (Harassment) Order 2012 (Ireland), the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Code of Practice on Sexual Harassment, the Harassment at Work 2022 (Ireland) and the EU Directive 2006/54/EC. It guides practitioners on liability, definitions, and employer defences, offering a concise tool for advising on risk, compliance, investigations, and preventative measures in harassment cases.

Practice Area

Panel

  • Contributing Author

Qualified Year

  • 2021

Membership

  • Bar of Ireland
  • Employment Bar of Ireland
  • Tort and Insurance Bar of Ireland

Qualifications

  • BCL (2016)
  • LL.M (2017)
  • BL (2021)

Education

  • University College Cork (2016)
  • University College Cork (2017)
  • Honourable Society of King’s Inns (2021)

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