• Tony Sheil
• Margaret Walsh
• Celia Folan

Margaret Walsh
Partner Sheil Solicitors LLP. Qualified 1985.

Post qualification, from 1985 to 1987, Margaret gained experience in general practice particularly on the private client side in conveyancing, probate and taxation.

Acting for a major lender she gained experience in investigating title for a lending institution, managing post completion issues, perfection of and enforcing security against defaulting borrowers (involving both Circuit and High Court Litigation) and in giving prompt and comprehensive responses to queries from all Departments of the Lender.

She joined Sheil Solicitors in 1987 and became a partner in 1991.
Her extensive experience in recent years includes;

• Representation of local authorities and private clients in a variety of property transactions including; C.P.O.s of agricultural lands for various road networks, the execution of the Integrated Area Plan (Urban Renewal Scheme 1999) and commercial and parkland acquisitions and disposals by local authorities in greater Dublin.
• Commercial and residential conveyancing, retail landlord and tenant and all ancillary matters for private clients.
• Acting for builders and developers of housing schemes, mixed developments, holiday home schemes, office and business parks, project management from site acquisition, through planning and construction to setting up appropriate legal structures and sales of units.
• Wills, taxation and estate planning. Acting for the elderly client. Probate, including contentious probate cases and litigation. Administration of estates.

Margaret has lectured and provided consultancy services to local authorities on the implementation of Part V (Planning and Development Act 2000) Agreements and on the legal framework required for mixed residential managed schemes with local authority input.

Margaret is a serving member of the Law Society Advisory Committee on Probate Administration and Trusts, is currently a member of the Law Society’s Guidance and Ethics Committee Task Force on Abuse of the Elderly in Financial Transactions, a member of The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and of the Institute of Taxation in Ireland, and Solicitors for the Elderly Ireland.

For more information on Solicitors for the Elderly, click here.

^Back to top What made you decide on law? 
A big draw was the chance of being self-employed. I enjoy a good argument and grew up in a house where heated political (or sporting) debate was in permanent session, adjourned for people to go to work and school and resumed again in the evening. I liked the idea of dealing in words, arguments and hair splitting. Of course this was in the heady days of the late seventies and the “troubles” when the State took some liberties with the notion of “due process”, and it seemed the job of protecting the individual against the might of the State was a worthwhile one. The money too – can I say that?

After a hard day at the office what do you do to relax?
Head home and hear all the news from school around the dinner table, walk the legs off the poor dog. Cook up something good and (hopefully) get someone else to do the clear up. Need I mention - for the ultimate unwind - a Girls Night Out.

Is there a particular aspect of your job that you enjoy?
Winning those long shot cases. Getting the deal to work for the Client. The unexpected and the “crisis management “ that goes with it.

If you were on a desert island what is the one thing you would take with you?
One thing would not be enough at all. I’d need a radio with everlasting batteries, emery boards, shampoo and conditioner, several cases of red wine, a casket of good coffee, a daily delivery of the Irish Times, a biro to do the crosswords...

If you had to choose between watching a film or reading a book which would it be and name the book or film
Would go for the book  -  “Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel which I’ve just finished and which everyone should read.

If you were to give free legal advice to anybody what would it be?
Choose your Solicitor with care.

If you were told you could no longer practice or work in law what other career would you pursue?
Mmmmm, would have to be something with the same buzz and variety.  Working in a publishing house, working overseas for an NGO perhaps?