Friday 30 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. 13042Rape (42 charges) · Co. Limerick · 1 Jul 1979

Matthew O'Connell (75) jailed for 12 years for repeated rape of wife's sister from age 13

Matthew O'Connell, 75, formerly of Adare and now of Askeaton, County Limerick, was sentenced to 12 years in prison at the Central Criminal Court after being convicted on 42 charges of raping his wife's younger sister from the age of 13 between July 1979 and June 1987.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced30 Jul
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
20 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatO'Connell was convicted on 42 charges of rape (limerickleader.ie)
  • whatThe victim was raped from the age of 13 (limerickleader.ie)
  • whatThe victim estimated the rapes occurred once every two or three weeks (limerickleader.ie)
  • whatThe victim began drinking to excess as a coping mechanism (limerickleader.ie)
  • whatThe victim described the rapes as occurring twice weekly in her teenage years (limerickleader.ie)
  • whereO'Connell is formerly of Adare, County Limerick (limerickleader.ie)
  • whenThe rapes occurred between July 1979 and June 1987 (limerickleader.ie)
  • whenThe victim disclosed the abuse to her family in the 1990s (limerickleader.ie)
  • whenThe abuse was reported to gardaí in 2021 (limerickleader.ie)
  • whenThe victim kept the secret until she started counselling in 2017 (limerickleader.ie)
  • courtThe sentencing was passed by Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo (limerickleader.ie)
  • courtThe trial was at the Central Criminal Court (limerickleader.ie)
  • sentenceThe headline sentence was 15 years (limerickleader.ie)
  • sentenceO'Connell was sentenced to 12 years in prison (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherO'Connell had no previous convictions (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherO'Connell had pleaded not guilty to the offences (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherO'Connell was remanded in custody after being convicted (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherThe victim did not want her own name published (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherO'Connell denied the allegations saying it was a lie (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherO'Connell warned the victim not to tell anyone (limerickleader.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 30 Jul2025
    Sentencedlimerickleader.ie, first report
    Limerick woman raped repeatedly by brother-in-law from age of 13 says he destroyed her body

    Reports the sentencing: 12-year prison term imposed by Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo after a 15-year headline sentence, following conviction by a Central Criminal Court jury on 42 charges of rape spanning 1979–1987.

    victim, 59, femaleconvicted, Matthew O'Connell, 75, male, named, irish (judged from name)Matthew O'Connell