Former Limerick principal given five years’ prison for sexually assaulting young boys

A CHRISTIAN brother and former principal of a school in Limerick has been sentenced to five and a half years’ imprisonment for sexually assaulting two school boys in the 1980s. 

Limerick Circuit Court heard that Liam McGrath, 75, with a home address at The Deck, Marketpoint, Mullingar, worked as a teacher in a school in Limerick in the early 80s. One boy that he assaulted was 13 when the Christian brother met him at the school. The teacher had the victim assist him in odd jobs. 

The court heard that Mr McGrath began speaking to the victim about sex education and masturbation on a trip away. These conversations became part of a nightly ritual where he made the victim masturbate him.  

In the 1980s the Christian brother took the victim away on an overnight trip. On one night that the victim stayed with him, Mr McGrath attempted to place his penis between the victim’s buttocks.  

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Mr McGrath was later made principal of a different school in Limerick.

The man’s second victim, aged 13, came into contact with Mr McGrath through odd jobs at this Limerick school. In the boiler room of the school, Mr McGrath kissed the child on the lips. The man also kissed the victim on another occasion outside the computer room, on a school corridor. 

Mr McGrath went on trial over these offences, where his defence questioned the recollection of the victims, who came forward to gardaí independently from each other. A jury found him guilty of seven counts of sexual assault, and not guilty of four counts. 

Considering a sentence, Judge Colin Daly said that the victims were young boys when the abuse happened and “were vulnerable”. The judge said that Mr McGrath was a “member of a religious order which was of some stature and status in 1980s Ireland” and in a “position of trust in the school”. 

Judge Daly commended the victims of the indecent assault - now adults - for their dignity. 

In mitigation, the judge said that Mr McGrath is elderly, and that these offences are a stain on his reputation of the past 40 years. The court heard previously that Mr McGrath had no previous convictions. 

Judge Colin Daly sentenced Mr McGrath to four years for having the first victim masturbate him, five and a half years’ imprisonment for attempting to put his penis in the same child’s buttocks, and two years’ imprisonment for kissing the second victim. All of these sentences are to run concurrently. 

Reporting restrictions mandate that the victims cannot be named or identified. The victims of the crime both agreed to lift reporting restrictions for the identity of the perpetrator, which was enacted at the sentencing of Mr McGrath. 

At a previous court hearing on February 3 last, one victim, in his impact statement, called the accused a “persevering predatory paedophile” and told the judge “I believe leniency should not be afforded to the perpetrator”.

He detailed that he “spent decades trying to heal myself” and he is “overprotective of his own children” in the aftermath of the abuse.

The second man addressed the perpetrator directly in his victim impact statement , saying that he was “an innocent 13-year-old-boy” when he was abused, and that the teacher “used me for your own sexual gratification”.

The victim told the abuser “your evil has been exposed”, and said “you refuse to accept responsibility” by putting him “through trial”.

“Every day I battle with the demons of your abuse”.

“The effects of it have followed me for my entire personal life,” he continued. “I’m finally free from your clutches and I can finally live free, with my head held high.”

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. 

- Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme