‘Civil war’ breaks out in Limerick family after victims reveal ‘secret’ of sexual abuse

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A “PAEDOPHILE and monster” who sexually abused his daughter making her feel “physically dirty like maggots were crawling under my skin”, and his sister-in-law, who was a flower girl at his wedding, will be sentenced this week.

On Friday, Limerick Criminal Circuit Court heard of his “controlling, manipulative and mental abuse” including rationing toilet paper - one sheet for when his daughters were urinating and two sheets for when they were going to the toilet properly.

The accused - Christopher O’Mahony, aged 67, of Kerrykyle, Ardagh, County Limerick pleaded guilty to 10 sample indecent assaults and one sexual assault of his sister-in-law, and seven sample counts of sexual assault on his daughter. There were a total of 54 counts on the indictment. 

The emergence of the sexual abuse has caused “civil war and complete fracture within the family”.

O’Mahony can be named after his daughter Emma O’Shaughnessy, now aged 42, and sister-in-law Helen Costelloe, now aged 51, waived their anonymity.

Prosecuting barrister Lily Buckley, instructed by State solicitor Brendan Gill, outlined the evidence with the assistance of Detective Garda James Muldowney, of the Limerick Divisional Protective Services Unit.

Ms Buckley said O’Mahony entered Ms Costelloe’s life after he married her sister and came to live in the family home in Ballyhahill while he built a house in Ardagh.

There is a 12-year age gap between Ms Costelloe and her sister who married O’Mahony.

Ms Buckley said the abuse started in 1983 when Ms Costelloe was nine and continued until 1989 when she was 15.

“Ms Costelloe was tasked with washing O’Mahony’s hair. They would be alone in the bathroom. He began touching her outside of her clothes, putting her hand on his penis, and using her hand to stroke his penis. While she was washing his hair, he would put his hand  back and touch her vagina through her clothes. He would avail of any opportunity he got to abuse her,” said Ms Buckley. O’Mahony told Ms Costelloe, “This would be our secret” and “You’re my girl”.

Ms Costelloe was petrified her mother would catch them and she would get in trouble even though she did not fully understand it.

The court heard O’Mahony went on to spit on his fingers and rub her vagina inside her knickers and insert his fingers in her vagina which was “uncomfortable and sore”.

“Unfortunately this became the norm,” said Ms Buckley.

The prosecuting barrister said on a drive to Ballybunion, O’Mahony made Ms Costelloe masturbate him leaving her feeling “disgusted and frozen”.

On another occasion, O’Mahony pushed Ms Costelloe onto the bed and ejaculated on her stomach.

“She did not know the facts of life and was worried she would get pregnant,” said Ms Buckley.

Det Garda Muldowney said O’Mahony worked as a rent collector for the council and Ms Costelloe helped him keep records as a child. 

The indecent assaults continued in O’Mahony’s office in his home in Ardagh, on the road and in locations where he collected rent monies including in the old dispensary in Ballyhahill and in the health centre in Glin.

Ms Buckley said when Ms Costelloe was 15, O’Mahony came into the bathroom in the health centre in Glin while she was using the facilities.

“He forced her to kiss him. She noticed the stench from his breath. He opened his pants and had an erection. He started pushing his penis against her vagina. She was in a state of undress because she had been interrupted in the bathroom. She fought back. He left and carried on as normal. The abuse started to pitter out after that. She was 15 at that point,” said Ms Buckley.

Ms Costelloe became pregnant in her Leaving Cert year (not by the accused). It was suggested that O’Mahony would be the godfather due to his standing in the family. Ms Buckley said despite Ms Costelloe not wanting this at all, she felt she couldn’t say anything.

“She struggled alone, trying to hold this in and attempting to have some semblance of normal life. She was trying to have relationships but they were breaking down because she wasn't opening up,” said Ms Buckley.

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Ms Costelloe called a family meeting in July 2021 after telling a number of family members of the sexual abuse.

“Her niece Ms O’Shaughnessy was at the meeting and obviously became aware that her auntie had been abused by her father (O’Mahony). Ms O’Shaughnessy announced at this meeting that she too had been abused as a child by her father.

“Despite all the evidence emerging from the two victims, some members of the family struggled to accept the truth,” said Ms Buckley.

Det Garda Muldowney said there is a “split in the family”.

“There must be some hope that the truth acknowledged by the accused will help other family members see that truth and the terrible abuse perpetrated on their family members,” said Ms Buckley.

The prosecuting barrister then outlined the physical, mental and sexual abuse suffered by O’Mahony’s daughter Ms O’Shaughnessy which began in 1993 when she was 10 and ended in 1996 when she was 13.

“O’Mahony touched her breasts through her clothes, saying ‘there’s not much there, you could do with filling out’,” said Ms Buckley.

The prosecuting barrister said Ms O’Shaughnessy had a rash on her back, with her father saying it was a “holy show” and began acting as her physician. He used this as an “excuse” to bring her into the bathroom and sexually assault her.

The court heard he would take off her bra, his hands “slithering” in between her thighs and masturbate her. This sexual abuse progressed to O’Mahony inserting his fingers into his daughter’s vagina.

“Ms O’Shaughnessy had no clue what was happening. She said she was ‘frozen’ and ‘stared blankly into the scummy water trying to block out what was happening’. Other times she would cry silently, afraid to make a sound in case it angered him.

“O’Mahony said things like, ‘You like that, don't you?’ and ‘Doesn't that feel good?’ He told her, ‘It is our secret’ and not to  tell her mother as ‘You know how she gets’,” said Ms Buckley.

On another occasion, O’Mahony was lying on the bed naked. He called to his daughter to join him and massage his penis but she locked herself in her bedroom.

Ms O’Shaughnessy heard a radio programme about sexual abuse. She realised that she was being abused, she felt sick and thought it was her fault and had done something to deserve it.

On a later date, O’Mahony pinned Ms O’Shaughnessy up against the sink and grabbed her left breast.

“She was emboldened to fight back. She twisted away from his grip, pushed his hand away from her and kicked him. 

“He told her no one would believe her, he was the only friend she had in the world because she was a mistake, everyone else had wanted her mother to get rid of her, and he was the only reason she was not aborted,” said Ms Buckley.

Other examples of “physical, psychological, and emotional abuse” was controlling the amount of the toilet paper - one sheet for urination, two sheets for going to the toilet properly; calling her an insufferable, lazy b*t&h, and locking a piano given to Ms O’Shaughnessy by a retired teacher into a shed so she couldn’t play it.

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Both Ms Costelloe and Ms O’Shaughnessy read out their own victim impact statements, while their abuser sat emotionless a few feet away.

O’Mahony handed himself into Henry Street garda station three days after the family meeting and the investigation commenced.

A letter was handed into Judge Sinead McMullan by the accused’s barrister Pat Whyms in which O’Mahony said to Emma O'Shaughnessy and Helen Costelloe he wished he could “rewind and delete the mistakes and the hurt I stupidly caused you both”.

“I can’t undo it. All I can do is sincerely apologise and hope that time will heal the hurt I have caused you. For that I am truly sorry,” read the letter.

Mr Whyms referred to a garda interview in which O’Mahony said he loved his daughter and “I’m awfully sorry she ended up with me as her father”.  

Judge McMullan remanded O’Mahony in custody and said she will pass judgment this Thursday. 

O’Mahony was placed on the sex offenders register two weeks ago.