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. 5532Sexual abuse (indecent assault and sexual assault) · Co. Dublin

Former Terenure College coach John McClean's sentence reduced on appeal

Former Terenure College rugby coach John McClean won an appeal against a four-year term for abusing 22 pupils. The Court of Appeal quashed the sentence and resentenced him to a global term of 10 and a half years for all 45 offences.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced4 Jul
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
14 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatJohn McClean won an appeal against the severity of a four-year term for sexually abusing 22 pupils. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMcClean has been convicted of sexually abusing 45 pupils. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMost of the charges were for indecent assault, and two were for sexual assault against a student in the 1990s. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe abuse took place at the school in south Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe offending took place over a period of more than 20 years. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe judgment was delivered on a Thursday. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeThe judge said all the incidents were committed for the sexual gratification of the appellant. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtHe was initially given an eight-year sentence in 2021 for abusing 23 pupils. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtHe pleaded guilty to abusing 22 more boys at the college between 1971 and 1992. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe Court of Appeal found the sentencing judge erred in principle and that the global sentence did not stand up to rigorous analysis. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtMr Justice John Edwards delivered the judgment on behalf of a three-judge Court of Appeal. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceJudge Martin Nolan gave him a four-year sentence in February 2023, to run consecutive to his first sentence. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe Court of Appeal quashed the February 2023 sentence and resentenced McClean to a global term of 10 and a half years. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe resentence is a global term of 10 and a half years in prison for all 45 offences. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 4 Jul2024
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    Former Terenure College rugby coach John McClean successfully appeals sentence for sexual abuse cases

    Court of Appeal ruling on sentence severity; quashes the February 2023 sentence and sets a global 10.5-year term for all 45 offences.

    convicted, John McClean, 79, male, named, irish (judged from name)John McClean