Ireland Case No. 7312Indecent assault · Co. Kilkenny
Kilkenny indecent assault convict dies in prison
Liam Coughlan, a man and former Christian Brother, was convicted of indecently assaulting 19 boys at CBS primary school on Stephen Street in Kilkenny between 1974 and 1978. A 1998 Garda investigation led to no prosecution, but a second investigation starting in 2010 resulted in charges; in May 2023 a jury found him guilty of 30 counts involving five other boys, and in October 2023 he was sentenced to four and a half years for the 19 counts to which he pleaded guilty. He was further convicted in 2026 for abuse at a school in Portarlington and sentenced to five years. Coughlan, aged 90, died in Mountjoy Prison in November 2026 while receiving palliative care.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced16 Oct
4 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- A former Christian Brother was convicted of indecently assaulting 19 boys at CBS primary school on Stephen Street in Kilkenny between 1974 and 1978.
- The abuse involved kissing boys, touching their bottoms, fondling genitals, and making boys touch his penis and masturbate him.
- Where
- The offences took place at CBS primary school on Stephen Street in Kilkenny during class.
- When
- The offences were committed on dates between 1974 and 1978.
- Investigation
- A 1998 Garda investigation following complaints from three men led to no prosecution, and a second investigation starting in 2010 led to charges.
- Charges
- Coughlan pleaded guilty to 19 sample counts of indecently assaulting 19 boys and was previously found guilty by a jury of 30 counts involving five other boys at the same school.
- In court
- He was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Elma Sheahan in October 2023 and further convicted in 2026 for abuse at a school in Portarlington.
- Sentence
- He was sentenced to four and a half years to run concurrently with his existing three-year-two-month sentence and received a further five-year sentence for the Portarlington offences.
- Other details
- Coughlan, aged 90, died in Mountjoy Prison in November 2026 while receiving palliative care.
- He left the Christian Brothers in the 1990s, married, and moved to Tramore, County Waterford.
- An ongoing Garda investigation into similar alleged abuse in County Laois was noted.
58 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA former Christian Brother was sentenced to 4½ years in jail for sexual abuse of former students. (irishtimes.com)
- whatCoughlan was sentenced for indecently assaulting 19 boys in a primary school in Kilkenny in the 1970s. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe abuse involved kissing boys, touching their bottoms, fondling genitals and making boys touch his penis and masturbate him. (irishtimes.com)
- whatCoughlan died in prison while receiving palliative care (kilkennypeople.ie)
- whatCoughlan was 90 years old (kilkennypeople.ie)
- whatHe was a former Christian Brother who sexually abused multiple primary school children in Kilkenny during the 1970s (kilkennypeople.ie)
- whereThe abuse took place at a school in Co Kilkenny. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe offences took place at a school in the southeast of the country. (rte.ie)
- whereThe offences took place when Coughlan was a teacher at a school in County Kilkenny. (kilkennypeople.ie)
- whereThe abuse happened during class. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe proceedings concerned the CBS primary school on Stephen Street in Kilkenny (kilkennypeople.ie)
- whenThe abuse took place in the 1970s. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe offences were committed on dates between 1974 and 1978. (rte.ie, kilkennypeople.ie)
- investigationA Garda investigation that started in 1998 led to no prosecution. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA second investigation involving multiple complainants led to charges being brought. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe Garda investigation that led to the conviction started in 2010, according to the victim. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe investigation took years because Coughlan denied the abuse until earlier in the year. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationAn initial investigation did not result in prosecution, and a later investigation led to charges. (rte.ie)
- investigationA second investigation in recent years led to Coughlan being charged with the offences. (kilkennypeople.ie)
- investigationCoughlan was investigated in 1998 when three of the men he abused in Kilkenny made complaints, but charges were not brought at that time. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationCoughlan is the subject of an ongoing investigation into similar alleged crimes in Co Laois. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeCoughlan pleaded guilty to 19 sample counts of indecently assaulting 19 boys. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeCoughlan pleaded guilty to 19 counts of indecently assaulting 19 boys. (rte.ie, kilkennypeople.ie)
- chargeCoughlan was previously found guilty by a jury of 30 counts of indecently assaulting five other boys at the same school in the 1970s. (kilkennypeople.ie)
- chargeCoughlan pleaded guilty to the crimes. (irishtimes.com)
- courtJudge Elma Sheahan handed down the sentence. (irishtimes.com)
- courtCoughlan was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. (rte.ie)
- courtThe sentence was handed down at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Elma Sheahan. (kilkennypeople.ie)
- courtCoughlan was already serving a sentence of three years and two months. (kilkennypeople.ie)
- courtThe sentence was handed down in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. (irishtimes.com)
- courtHe was jailed in 2023 following two separate legal proceedings at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court (kilkennypeople.ie)
- courtIn May 2023 he was convicted by a jury on 30 counts of indecent assault involving five boys (kilkennypeople.ie)
- courtHe was further convicted in 2026 for sexual abuse of former students at CBS primary school on Patrick Street in Portarlington during the 1980s (kilkennypeople.ie)
- courtCoughlan observed the Portarlington trial via video-link from Mountjoy Prison (kilkennypeople.ie)
- courtThe jury was not told about his previous Kilkenny convictions (kilkennypeople.ie)
- courtThe jury was informed he was unable to attend court in person for medical reasons (kilkennypeople.ie)
- sentenceCoughlan is already serving a sentence of three years and two months from an earlier jury conviction. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceCoughlan was jailed for four and a half years. (rte.ie, kilkennypeople.ie)
- sentenceThe sentence was ordered to start on the day of sentencing and run concurrently with his current sentence. (rte.ie)
- sentenceThe judge noted that the maximum sentence for each offence of indecent assault in that period is two years. (kilkennypeople.ie)
- sentenceThe sentence runs concurrently with the sentence Coughlan is currently serving. (kilkennypeople.ie)
- sentenceCoughlan is now beginning a 4½-year sentence. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceHe was sentenced to three years and two months in prison for the May 2023 conviction (kilkennypeople.ie)
- sentenceIn October 2023 he received an additional four-and-a-half-year sentence after pleading guilty to 19 sample counts of indecent assault against 19 schoolboys between 1974 and 1978 (kilkennypeople.ie)
- sentenceJudge Keenan Johnson sentenced Coughlan to five years in prison for the Portarlington offences (kilkennypeople.ie)
- otherThe prosecutor said all matters against Coughlan were now concluded and he could be named. (irishtimes.com)
- otherCoughlan is 87 years old. (rte.ie)
- otherCoughlan was already serving a sentence of three years and two months for earlier convictions. (rte.ie)
- otherThe judge said Coughlan was in a position of power and authority as a teacher and a Christian Brother. (rte.ie, kilkennypeople.ie)
- otherDefence counsel said Coughlan has serious health issues, including prostate cancer and secondary bone cancer. (rte.ie)
- otherThe court heard Coughlan threatened to kill one boy if he told anyone about the abuse. (kilkennypeople.ie)
- otherCoughlan is undergoing chemotherapy for prostate cancer and secondary bone cancer, which are not curable. (kilkennypeople.ie)
- otherCoughlan has cancer and other serious health issues. (irishtimes.com)
- otherHe left the Christian Brothers in the 1990s (kilkennypeople.ie)
- otherJudge Keenan Johnson noted it was likely Coughlan would die in prison (kilkennypeople.ie)
- otherThroughout his career Coughlan also taught in counties Laois, Carlow, and Cork (kilkennypeople.ie)
- otherAfter leaving the order in the 1990s he married and moved to Tramore, County Waterford (kilkennypeople.ie)
- otherA number of his victims are currently suing the Christian Brothers for damages (kilkennypeople.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 5 Nov2026Former Christian Brother who sexually abused children in Kilkenny dies in prison
Reports Coughlan's death in Mountjoy Prison while receiving palliative care, and provides a summary of his multiple convictions, sentences, and personal history.
convicted, Liam Coughlan, 90, male, named, irish (judged from name)Liam Coughlan - 21 Oct2023Former Christian Brother jailed for assaulting 19 boys investigated for alleged abuse in Co Laois
Reports the sentencing of Liam Coughlan (87) for 19 sample Kilkenny counts, a 4½-year sentence, and an ongoing Garda investigation into alleged abuse at a CBS school in Co Laois. It also mentions a separate earlier Kilkenny trial in which he was found guilty of abusing five other boys and given three years and two months; that trial is not treated as part of this case.
convicted, Liam Coughlan, 87, male, named, irish (judged from name)Liam Coughlanvictim, male - 17 Oct2023Former Christian Brother jailed for four and a half years for sexual abuse of 19 boys in Kilkenny
Reports the sentencing hearing: four and a half years, concurrent with his existing sentence, the judge's remarks, victim impact statements, the defence plea on his health, and the prosecution's account of the second investigation.
convicted, Liam Coughlan, 87, male, named, irish (judged from name)Liam Coughlanvictim, male - 16 Oct2023Ex Christian Brother jailed for sexual abuse of 19 boys
Sentencing report. Adds the four-and-a-half-year sentence, the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court venue, the concurrent sentence, and victim impact statements. The article gives the school location only as 'the southeast of the country', not a county.
convicted, Liam Coughlan, 87, male, named, irish (judged from name)Liam Coughlanvictim, male - 16 Oct2023Former Christian Brother (80s) jailed for sexual abuse of former students at Kilkenny school in 1970s
Reports the 4½-year sentence for 19 sample counts, to which Coughlan pleaded guilty, and that he is already serving three years and two months for a jury conviction on 30 counts involving five other boys at the same school.
convicted, Liam Coughlan, 87, male, named, irish (judged from name)Liam Coughlan