An Irish judge is being praised online for excusing a 54-year-old man from jury duty after he revealed he had planned a long weekend away with his partner and it was his 'first time in love'.

Journalist Sarah Jane Murphy relayed the exchange, which took place at a Dublin court on Monday, to her followers on Twitter and it has gone viral with almost 2,000 retweets.

It reads:

"Man: I can’t serve; I’m away for weekend.

Judge: We don’t sit at weekends.

Man: I’m away till Monday. I’m 54, a bachelor & it’s my 1st time in love.

Jury selection, CCJ, yesterday.



Man: I canât serve; Iâm away for weekend.

Judge: We donât sit at weekends.

Man: Iâm away till Monday. Iâm 54, a bachelor & itâs my 1st time in love.

Judge: Then you GO and you GO with my blessing.



It was truly an epic moment â¤ï¸ — Sarah-Jane Murphy (@sjanemurf) December 13, 2017

Judge: Then you GO and you GO with my blessing.

It was truly an epic moment"

Sarah-Jane reveals that the man spoke hesitantly at first but then with more confidence when he delivered his reason for not being able to serve.

"The judge broke into a broad smile and the man walked away grinning," she revealed, "The woman beside me turned to me and said, 'Did I imagine that?'"

Twitter users have been commenting that the exchange is like a scene from Richard Curtis' romantic comedy Love Actually.

"Is this the ending to Love Actually II?" wrote one, while another commented, "This honestly sounds like the ending to a film and it’s lovely!"

Another quipped, "Guilty of 'Love In The First Degree', perhaps?"

Online Editors