Ireland Crime

Named as

Convicted

Born

Between May 1944 and May 1945, from the ages reported

Offences

Oral rape, Anal rape, Sexual assault, Possession of child pornography

Where

Co. Waterford

Reporting

1 report, 21 May 2026 to 21 May 2026

Outlets

irishtimes.com

• Retired Waterford teacher Barra Connolly jailed for 15 years for sexual offences on four boys Oral rape · Co. Waterford

  Barra Connolly, an 81-year-old retired English and history teacher, was convicted in February 2026 of 97 counts of sexual offences, including 23 counts of oral and anal rape, against four boys aged 13 or 14 at the time. The offences took place at his house on Chapel Street in Lismore, Co Waterford, between 1997 and 2006, after he lured the boys there under the pretext of giving them free grinds. Gardaí recovered diaries in which Connolly recorded his sexual activities in Irish, Latin, French and Italian using cryptic codes, and 984 child abuse images were found in a 2023 search. Connolly denied all charges, exercised his right to silence when arrested, and refused to accept the jury's verdict. On 21 May 2026, Judge Melanie Greally at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin sentenced him to 15 years, comprising two 7½-year terms to be served consecutively.

  Sentenced, 21 May 2026Convicted · 1 report

Each entry shows how that report described them.

1. 21 May2026
   Sentencedirishtimes.com, in Retired Waterford teacher Barra Connolly jailed for 15 years for sexual offences on four boys

   Retired Waterford teacher who detailed abuse in diaries is jailed for 15 years for assaults on four boys

   convicted, Barra Connolly, 81, male, named, irish (judged from name)Barra Connolly♂81IE

Matched on the name as printed, ignoring quoted nicknames, and split by the ages reported. Two people who share a name and age would appear together here.