Ireland Case No. 30885Indecent assault (of a child) · Co. Dublin
Former 'singing priest' Tony Walsh jailed for two years for indecent assault of boy in 1970s
Tony Walsh, 67, a former trainee priest known as the 'singing priest', was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 7 July 2021 after being convicted by a jury of six counts of indecent assault of a boy aged between nine and 13, committed at a church in Dublin between September 1973 and July 1977.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced7 Jul
2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports36 statements extracted from the articles
- whatWalsh was a trainee priest when he sexually abused the child on six occasions inside a church in the 1970s. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe victim was aged between nine and 13 at the time of the abuse, while Walsh was a trainee priest in his early 20s. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe first instance occurred when the victim broke a window near a girls' school trying to knock over an egg carton, and Walsh stopped him and led him into a nearby church. (irishtimes.com)
- whatWalsh molested the boy and forced the boy to masturbate him, then told the victim to return the next day. (irishtimes.com)
- whatSimilar instances of abuse occurred on five further occasions over the following weeks. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe abuse ended when the boy returned to the church and Walsh was not there. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe victim was expelled from secondary school after the abuse occurred. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe abuse led to intimacy issues and the victim could only be intimate with his wife when intoxicated, leading to their separation. (irishtimes.com)
- whatWalsh was 67 at the time of sentencing (extra.ie)
- whatWalsh was a trainee priest at the time of the abuse (extra.ie)
- whatThe victim was aged between nine and 13 at the time of the abuse (extra.ie)
- whatWalsh was in his early 20s at the time of the abuse (extra.ie)
- whatThe first instance occurred when the victim broke a window near a girls' school and cut his finger, and Walsh led him into a church room (extra.ie)
- whatWalsh forced the boy to perform a sex act on him and told him to return the next day (extra.ie)
- whatSimilar instances of abuse occurred on five further occasions over the next weeks (extra.ie)
- whereThe abuse occurred inside a church in Dublin (extra.ie)
- whenThe offences occurred between September 1, 1973, and July 1, 1977 (extra.ie)
- chargeWalsh had pleaded not guilty to all offences. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeHe had pleaded not guilty to all of the offences (extra.ie)
- courtWalsh was convicted by a jury following a trial in May 2021 of six counts of indecent assault at a church in Dublin between 1 September 1973 and 1 July 1977. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe defence cross-examined the victim on the basis that he had misidentified Walsh as the abuser. (irishtimes.com, extra.ie)
- courtThe matter has been in the court system since May 2020. (irishtimes.com)
- courtHe was convicted by a jury following a trial in May 2021 (extra.ie)
- sentenceTony Walsh was jailed for two years for repeatedly indecently assaulting a child 45 years ago. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceWalsh was most recently sentenced in 2018 to five years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended for indecent assault. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceJudge Melanie Greally set a headline sentence of 18 months' imprisonment for each count, with the maximum being two years. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceHe was most recently sentenced for indecent assault in 2018, receiving five years with the final 18 months suspended (extra.ie)
- otherWalsh has 39 previous convictions, 34 of which are for indecent assault. (irishtimes.com)
- otherPrior to sentencing, Walsh had a release date of 9 July 2021. (irishtimes.com)
- otherWalsh has spent 15 years in custody. (irishtimes.com)
- otherWalsh helped fellow prisoners learn how to read and write while in custody. (irishtimes.com)
- otherWalsh has 39 previous convictions, 34 of which are for offences of indecent assault (extra.ie)
- otherHe was dropped from the show in the 1980s following rumours of child abuse which were not reported to the Gardaí (extra.ie)
- otherThe victim said the abuse led to intimacy issues and he was only able to be intimate with his wife when intoxicated, which led to their separation (extra.ie)
- otherThe defence said his client has spent 15 years in custody (extra.ie)
- otherThe defence said his client has helped fellow prisoners learn how to read and write (extra.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 8 Jul2021'Singing priest' jailed for his sex assaults on boy 45 years ago - Extra.ie
Reports the sentencing for six counts of indecent assault of one child in the 1970s, distinct from the 1980s Ballyfermot case (id 25965). Provides details of the abuse, the victim's impact statement, defence submissions, and the judge's sentencing reasoning.
convicted, Tony Walsh, 67, male, named, irish (judged from name)Tony Walshvictim, 9-13, male - 7 Jul2021Former priest jailed for repeated indecent assault of a boy in 1970s
Provides full sentencing details including the judge's reasoning, the victim's impact statement, the defence's totality argument, and the specific structure of the sentence (five concurrent, one consecutive).
victim, 9-13, maleconvicted, Tony Walsh, 67, male, named, irish (judged from name)Tony Walsh