Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 1328Rape, indecent assault · Co. Dublin · 1 Jan 1978

Former priest Richard Brennan jailed for raping and indecently assaulting his three sisters

Richard Brennan, a 64-year-old former priest, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin to nine years in prison with one year suspended after pleading guilty to six charges of rape and 18 indecent assaults of his three sisters, Paula Fay, Catherine Wrightstone, and Yvonne Crist. The offences took place at an address in Anne Devlin Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, between 1978 and 1985, when Brennan was a seminarian at Clonliffe College. Brennan was ordained in 1989 before moving to the United States, where he left the priesthood and became a hospital and hospice chaplain. Judge David Keane gave Brennan credit for his guilty plea, made nine days into the trial, and a letter of apology. His brother Bernard, 67, had separately pleaded guilty in June to 11 counts of indecent assault of the same sisters between 1972 and 1975.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Convicted14 Jul
  6. Sentenced14 Jul
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Richard Brennan, a 64-year-old former priest, pleaded guilty to six charges of rape and 18 indecent assaults of his three sisters, Paula Fay, Catherine Wrightstone, and Yvonne Crist.
  • Brennan was a seminarian at Clonliffe College when he began abusing his sisters and was ordained as a priest in 1989 before moving to the United States, leaving the priesthood, and becoming a hospital and hospice chaplain.
Where
The offences occurred at an address in Anne Devlin Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.
When
The abuse took place between 1978 and 1985, with the first assault on Catherine Wrightstone occurring just after her ninth birthday in June 1980.
In court
The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin before Judge David Keane.
Sentence
Judge David Keane sentenced Brennan to nine years in prison with one year suspended, with each individual sentence running concurrently.
Other details
  • Brennan had no previous convictions and received credit for his guilty plea, made nine days into the trial, and a letter of apology written in June.
  • Brennan blamed his brother Bernard, 67, who pleaded guilty in June to 11 counts of indecent assault of the sisters between 1972 and 1975.
  • Yvonne Crist gave evidence via video link from her home in the United States.
37 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatRichard Brennan was a seminarian when he started abusing his sister Catherine when she was nine years old. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatRichard Brennan was ordained as a priest in 1989 before moving to America, leaving the priesthood, marrying, and becoming a hospital and hospice chaplain in the US. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatRichard told his sister Catherine that 'this is my job' and 'this is what brothers do' as he abused her. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatYvonne Crist was assaulted in or around June 1979 when her parents were in Wexford. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatPaula Fay was first assaulted when she was 14 or 15 years old, while asleep in bed. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatRichard Brennan told Paula Fay he would not be able to do that eventually because he was about to become a priest. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whereThe offences occurred at an address in Anne Devlin Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whenThe first assault on Catherine Wrightstone occurred just after her 9th birthday in June 1980. (dublinlive.ie)
  • chargeThe woman was on trial accused of 13 counts of sexual assault of her daughter on dates between 2000 and 2014. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeThe third accused, a man in his 50s, had pleaded not guilty to one count of oral rape between 2008 and 2009. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeRichard Brennan pleaded guilty to 24 charges consisting of six charges of rape and 18 indecent assaults of his sisters. (dublinlive.ie)
  • courtThe trial took place at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe judge presiding was Ms Justice Eileen Creedon. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe woman and the uncle were remanded into custody and a sentence date was set for next October. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe third accused was remanded on continuing bail to the same date for the prosecution to seek instructions from the DPP. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe case was prosecuted by Fiona Murphy SC. (dublinlive.ie)
  • sentenceThe woman was found guilty of one count of rape, facilitating the rape of the complainant by her uncle between 2003 and 2004. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe woman was convicted of two counts of sexual assault at a family-owned holiday home. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe jury acquitted the woman of two counts of sexual assault and was unable to reach a verdict on two further counts. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe judge directed the jury to return not guilty verdicts on a further seven counts of sexual assault against the woman for legal reasons. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe uncle was convicted of one count of raping the girl on a date between 2003 and 2004. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe jury was unable to reach a verdict on a further count of rape and the oral rape charge against the uncle. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe jury was unable to reach a verdict on the third accused's count after deliberating for 10 hours and 15 minutes. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceJudge David Keane sentenced Richard Brennan to nine years in prison with one year suspended, with each individual sentence running concurrently. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe third accused was a friend of the accused woman's then-partner. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe child was aged between three and a half and 15 at the time of the alleged abuse. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe complainant lived with her mother, uncle and three other adult relatives when she was a child, and all adults had issues with alcohol. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe complainant was three and a half when she alleged her mother first sexually assaulted her in their bedroom. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe complainant was about five and a half when she was raped for the first time by her uncle in his bedroom. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe complainant was around eight when she alleged an oral rape by her uncle. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe complainant was around six when she saw her mother and uncle engage in sex with each other. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherRichard Brennan had no previous convictions. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherHe received credit in mitigation for his guilty plea, made nine days into his trial, and a letter of apology written in June expressing his sorrow and the generational harm he had caused. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherRichard Brennan was attending Clonliffe College where he was training to become a priest, and the abuse occurred when he was home in the summertime. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherRichard blamed his brother Bernard, saying Bernard also abused him and encouraged him to engage in abusing his sisters. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThere was a family therapy session a number of years ago in which matters were swept under the carpet for many years. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherYvonne Crist gave evidence via video link from her home in the US. (dublinlive.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 14 Jul2025
    Sentenceddublinlive.ie, first report
    Monster Dublin priest jailed after sickening abuse of his 3 sisters exposed

    Reports the sentencing of Richard Brennan to nine years (one year suspended) for 24 charges of rape and indecent assault of his three sisters, including details of the abuse, victim impact statements, and his background as a former priest who moved to the US.

    convicted, Richard Brennan, 64, male, named, irish (judged from name)Richard Brennanvictim, Paula Fay, female, irish (judged from name)Paula Fayvictim, Catherine Wrightstone, 54, female, irish (judged from name)Catherine Wrightstonevictim, Yvonne Crist, female, irish (judged from name)Yvonne Crist
  2. 14 Jul2025
    Convictedirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Woman convicted of facilitating the rape of her own daughter

    Reports the verdicts delivered at the Central Criminal Court: the mother convicted of facilitating rape and two counts of sexual assault, the uncle convicted of one count of rape, and the third accused not convicted due to a hung jury. Sentencing set for next October.

    victim, femaleconvicted, 50s, femaleconvicted, 40s, maleaccused, 50s, male