A Mayo native has been named as director general of the Law Society on an interim basis and is the first woman to hold the position in the Society’s 191-year history.

Mary Keane who is originally from Swinford takes over from Ken Murphy, who retired on Monday after more than 26 years as DG.

A qualified barrister and graduate of University College Dublin, Mary Keane has worked for the Law Society since 1992, most recently as deputy director general and director of policy and public affairs.