Former president Dr Mary McAleese announced the winner last night at a special presentation event, where Ms Watson was presented with a special medal by Sir Maurice O’Connell, a direct descendant of “the Liberator”.

The scholarship offers a fully funded place for a young barrister to attend the prestigious Harvard Programme on Negotiation, a unique and prestigious programme in mediation, negotiation and conflict resolution.

Ms Watson, based in Dublin, was selected following a nationwide call for submissions from Law Library members in years five to 10, inviting reflections on the legacy of O’Connell.

Her winning essay, titled “The current day relevance of Daniel O’Connell’s life and legacy and lessons for the future”, drew powerful links between O’Connell’s legacy and modern-day struggles for justice, highlighting the importance of courage, compassion, and constitutional activism.

Bar Council chair Seán Guerin SC said: “Daniel O’Connell was not only a champion of emancipation and legislative independence, but he was also a principled advocate who believed in the power of law to serve every citizen.

“The Liberator Scholarship celebrates that legacy by equipping the next generation of barristers with the tools to carry it forward.

“This initiative reflects our profession’s deep commitment to ethical advocacy, peaceful dispute resolution, and leadership in service of justice.”

Ms Watson said: “To be chosen to represent the Bar at Harvard’s Programme on Negotiation later this year is both a privilege and an honour.

“Harvard’s programme is, in essence, a contemporary form for cultivating the very skills O’Connell modelled two centuries ago — listening with respect, building coalitions across difference, and crafting solutions that preserve relationships while resolving disputes.

“I intend to apply the lessons of Harvard and of O’Connell alike, to advocate fearlessly yet respectfully, to resolve disputes without resort to rancour, and to advance the cause of justice with the same courage, conviction and compassion that earned him the title ‘The Liberator’.”

The Liberator Scholarship was made possible by the generous sponsorship of members of the Bar and with the support of the Bar Council’s ADR committee.

The judging panel comprised Dr Mary McAleese, Dr Martin McAleese, and retired Supreme Court judge Mr Justice John MacMenamin.

The event forms part of the Bar of Ireland’s wider commemorative activities, including participation in the “O’Connell 250 Symposium: Liberty, Democracy, and the Struggle for Human Rights”, in association with Trinity College Dublin, The Daniel O’Connell Summer School, and Glasnevin Cemetery.