Retired teacher jailed for 15 years over 97 sexual offences against boys

Claire Henry

An 81-year-old former teacher has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of 97 sexual offences against four teenage boys.

The Central Criminal Court heard that Barra Connolly was found guilty by a jury sitting in Waterford of 23 counts of rape, 73 counts of sexual assault and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material, which occurred at his then home in Chapel Street, Lismore, Co Waterford, on dates between 1997 and 2006.

The court was told by Conor O’Doherty SC, prosecuting, that the four injured parties in the case wish Connolly to be named but wish to maintain their own anonymity. Connolly, who has no previous convictions, does not accept the verdict of the jury.

Passing the sentence on Thursday, Justice Melanie Greally noted the contents of a psychological report which outlined that Connolly has suffered with anxiety since his arrest and throughout the court proceedings.

It also highlighted that there were no concerns regarding cognitive decline and that Connolly's medical needs were met while he has been in custody.

The report also said that Connolly is afraid of dying in prison but realises this is now realistic.

The court was previously told that the Director of Public Prosecutions placed the rape offences in the 10 to 15 year category, to which Justice Greally said, “I take no issue with this.” She said the most egregious aggravating factor is the way Connolly groomed the boys, saying, “he corrupted not only their beliefs but their value system.”

Judge Greally said the aggravating factors in this case were the multiplicity, frequency, and prolonged duration of the abuse. She also noted the exploitation and the vulnerability of the injured parties, and the extreme damage caused to them.

The judge said the mitigation available to Connolly was “scant”, but took into account his lack of previous convictions, his education and work history, along with his family support, and that prison will be an isolating place for a man of his age.

Judge Greally sentenced Connolly to a global 15-year prison term, which she backdated to when he went into custody in February of this year.

The Judge gave a recap of Detective Garda Patricia Lonergan's evidence from the Garda Protective Services Unit, stating that Connolly was an English and history teacher and taught all four of the injured parties.

She said that all of the offending took place in Connolly's home, which was described as a “rule-free haven.” Some of the young boys went to the house under the guise of grinds.

The court heard all four injured parties were aged between 13 and 17 at the time of the offending and were given keys to the Connolly’s house, where they would go and drink Coca-Cola, smoke cigarettes, play video games and were encouraged to masturbate and watch pornographic videos.

In their statements to the gardaí, all four men gave evidence of a seating hierarchy within Connolly’s home and made reference to the “throne” where the favourite boy would sit.

One of the injured parties described the abuse as “transactional”, and he received money afterwards. In some instances, the abuse began with touching and escalated over time to oral and anal rape. A second injured party told gardaí that Connolly kept detailed accounts in a diary of the abuse.

The first injured party in the case disclosed the gardaí in 2023 after telling his partner two years previously.

Gardaí searched Connolly's home, and electronic devices were seized. 984 items of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were found on a hard drive and a laptop.

Material found on the laptop had been accessed on the day the gardaí searched the home, and the hard drive was plugged directly into the TV.

Justice Greally said she viewed some of the CSAM and noted: “without a doubt, there were male children contained”. She said, “The pain and distress in the faces of the children are hard to erase.”

Diaries belonging to Connolly were admitted as evidence at trial.

These included accounts of his sexual activities with the boys, which also contained cryptic codes. Connolly was arrested, detained, and interviewed, and he emphatically denied the allegations put to him by the gardaí.

At a previous hearing, the four injured parties read out their victim impact statements to the court. One man described experiencing suicidal ideation and carrying shame and loathing for over a quarter of a century.

A second man said how his innocence was taken from him by exposure to pornography and sexual activity. He had mental health issues, and both he and his friends live daily with Connolly’s predatory actions.

A third man described how he became anxious and withdrawn from his friends and family. He used alcohol as a crutch and developed anger issues.

He spoke of the emotional turmoil that had manifested itself and the night terrors he suffered.

The final man spoke of the whirlwind of emotions that he had and said that he has now moved on with his life. He wonders who he could have been if Connolly had not been part of his life.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.