Saturday 31 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. 21257Rape

Woman tells court she was raped by grandfather twice

A woman, now 30, told the Central Criminal Court that her grandfather raped her twice when she was about nine or ten, during visits to her grandparents in a rural area in Connacht. The alleged offences, which the court heard occurred between 1999 and 2005 according to one report and 1999 and 2005 or February 2004 according to others, were against four relatives who were children at the time. Five members of the same extended family, including the 66-year-old grandfather, his 63-year-old wife and three sons, are on trial at the Central Criminal Court, and all have pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial, before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring, opened on 3 May 2023 and is expected to last three weeks. The latest development is that on 4 May 2023, the second day of the trial, the first complainant began giving evidence by video link.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court3 May
    3 reports
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
Five members of an extended family are on trial at the Central Criminal Court accused of sexual offences and assaults against four relatives who were children at the time.
Where
The first complainant says she was abused while visiting her grandparents in a rural area in Connacht, and one incident allegedly took place in a field in the west of the country.
When
  • The alleged offences occurred between September 1999 and February 2004, according to one report, and between 1999 and 2005, according to another.
  • The complainants were aged between seven and 18 at the time, and the first complainant, now 30, says she was around nine or ten.
Charges
  • The first accused, aged 66, is charged with 25 counts, including two of anal rape of his granddaughter.
  • The first accused's three sons, aged 37 or 38, 40 and 41, face more than 100 charges between them, mainly of rape and sexual assault.
  • The 63-year-old wife of the first accused is charged with assaulting two complainants and with concealing the effects of rape on her granddaughter.
In court
  • All five defendants have pleaded not guilty to all the charges and deny them.
  • The trial opened on 3 May 2023 before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring and is expected to last three weeks.
  • On 4 May 2023 the first complainant gave evidence by video link that her grandfather raped her twice.
Other details
  • The two male complainants are brothers, now aged 30 and 33.
  • According to the prosecution, the complainants and accused are all related and part of an extended Traveller family.
40 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA husband and wife and their three sons went on trial accused of various sexual offences and assaults against four members of their extended family. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatFive people are on trial over sexual offences and assaults against four members of their extended family who were children at the time. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe trial is taking place at the Central Criminal Court. (thejournal.ie)
  • whereThe first complainant said one incident took place in a field in the west of the country. (rte.ie)
  • whereThe first complainant says the abuse happened while she was visiting her grandparents in a rural area in Connacht. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe alleged offences occurred between September 1999 and February 2004. (thejournal.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe complainants were aged between seven and 18 at the time of the alleged offences. (rte.ie)
  • whenThe first complainant is now 30 years old. (rte.ie)
  • whenThe first complainant says she was around nine years old at the time. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe first accused pleaded not guilty to 25 charges, including two of anal rape of his granddaughter. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeThe first accused denied 21 charges against his nephew, including 12 of anal rape, 10 of oral rape and one of assault causing harm. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeThe second accused pleaded not guilty to 31 charges, including rape and anal rape of his niece, the granddaughter. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeThe third accused pleaded not guilty to 36 charges, including anal rape of his granddaughter and of a male cousin. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeThe fourth accused pleaded not guilty to concealing the effects of anal rape by giving her granddaughter an adult diaper and convincing her not to return to her parents. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeThe fourth accused also pleaded not guilty to assaulting her nephew and her granddaughter, causing harm. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeThe fifth accused pleaded not guilty to 31 charges against his sister. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeFour men, three sons and their father, aged 37, 40, 41 and 66, are on trial charged with more than 100 offences, mainly sexual assault and rape. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe mother, aged 63, is on trial charged with assisting an offender and assaulting two of the complainants. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe oldest defendant is charged with raping his granddaughter twice between 2002 and 2004. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe oldest defendant is also charged with 20 counts of raping one of his nephews and with assaulting the same nephew. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe 41-year-old son is charged with raping his niece between May 2000 and September 2001. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe 41-year-old son is also charged with 28 counts of raping and sexually assaulting his sister between 1999 and 2005. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe 40-year-old brother is charged with 31 counts of raping and sexually assaulting the same sister. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe 37-year-old brother is charged with 32 counts of raping and sexually assaulting the same sister. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe 37-year-old brother is also charged with two counts of raping his niece and two counts of raping a male cousin. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe mother is accused of concealing that an offence had been committed when the young girl told her she had been raped. (rte.ie)
  • chargeA man aged 66 and his three sons, aged 38, 40 and 41, are charged with more than 100 counts of rape and sexual assault. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe 63-year-old wife of the first accused is charged with assaults and with concealing the effects of rape on one of the alleged victims. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe trial is expected to last three weeks and is before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtA woman told the Central Criminal Court she was raped by her grandfather twice when she was around nine and ten. (rte.ie)
  • courtThe woman is one of four people who allege they were raped and sexually assaulted as children by members of their extended family between 1999 and 2005. (rte.ie)
  • courtAll the defendants have pleaded not guilty to all the charges. (rte.ie)
  • courtThe first complainant gives her evidence via video link. (rte.ie)
  • courtThe trial is expected to last three weeks and continues before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe two male complainants are brothers, now aged 30 and 33. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherThe complainants and accused are all inter-related and part of an extended Traveller family, according to the prosecution's opening. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherThe prosecution said each of the four complainants was abused in a sexual manner by some of the accused. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherThe prosecutor said the accused and the complainants were all part of the same extended family, who were members of the Travelling community. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe five defendants deny all the charges. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe first complainant testified in court that she was held down and anally raped by her grandfather on two separate occasions. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 4 May2023
    In courtirishtimes.com, first report
    Woman recalls alleged rape by grandfather as evidence begins in abuse trial

    Reports the start of evidence in the trial at the Central Criminal Court before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring. Trial expected to last three weeks. All five defendants deny the charges.

    accused, 66, maleaccused, 38, maleaccused, 40, maleaccused, 41, maleaccused, 63, femalevictim, 30, femalevictim, 30svictim, 30svictim, 30s
  2. 4 May2023
    In courtrte.ie, first report
    Woman tells court she was raped by grandfather twice

    Trial is under way at the Central Criminal Court. The first complainant, now 30, gives evidence by video link that her grandfather raped her twice when she was about nine and ten. All defendants have pleaded not guilty and the case is expected to last more than three weeks.

    accused, 66, maleaccused, 41, maleaccused, 40, maleaccused, 37, maleaccused, 63, femalevictim, 30, femalevictim, femalevictim, malevictim, male
  3. 3 May2023
    In courtthejournal.ie, first report
    Five family members on trial accused of various sexual offences and assaults against relatives

    Reports the opening of the trial of five accused, with counts for each accused and the period of the alleged offences. No existing case matches this trial.

    accused, 66, maleaccused, 41, maleaccused, 38, maleaccused, 63, femaleaccused, 40, malevictim, 30, malevictim, 33, malevictim, 30, femalevictim, 36, female