CSA in Ireland > Sick Dad of the Year candidate comes from Dublin

 

Sick dad who sexually abused daughter and said her mother would be 'jealous'

Gordon McKenna has been jailed after pleading guilty to indecently assaulting his daughter at various locations including the family home in Dublin, on mountain biking trips and at the cinema

Fiona Ferguson

09:00 ET, 24 Jan 2026

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Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin.(Image: Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

A man who sexually abused his daughter throughout her childhood, convincing her they shared "a special love" that would make her mother jailed (jealous?), has received a seven-year prison sentence.

Gordon McKenna, 79, previously of Marian Grove, Old Moore Street, Mountmellick, Laois, and currently residing in Germany, admitted to indecently assaulting his daughter at multiple locations including their family home in Tallaght, Dublin, during mountain biking trips and at the cinema, between 1977 and 1983. He has no prior criminal record.

McKenna had initially contested the charges but entered a guilty plea as his trial was set to begin at the Central Criminal Court. Prosecutor Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing SC informed Justice Melanie Greally that Jane Murray, 55, chose to waive her anonymity rights to permit her father's identification in media coverage of the case.

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She participated in the proceedings remotely through an audio connection.

The court was informed that Murray's mother grew suspicious McKenna was engaging in an extramarital affair when Murray reached 13 years of age. At that moment, the teenager revealed to her mother that she was "the other woman," reports the Irish Mirror.

McKenna departed from the family home and the abuse stopped.

Historical Child Sex Abuse Claims Against Catholic Church Decline in Dublin

Settlements cost archdiocese €22.4 million to date, including legal fees of €7.2 million

Patsy McGarry, The Irish Times

Diocesan director of safeguarding Andrew Fagan said the continuing decline meant the service could give more time  to ensuring the creation and maintenance of safe environments for children

    Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland

Four new allegations of child sexual abuse involving its priests were received by Dublin’s Catholic Archdiocese this year, new figures show

Three of the priests were dead and one was retired. It indicates a continuing decline in the number of complaints and allegations of abuse being processed by the archdiocese’s child safeguarding service and brings to 110 the total number of priests in Dublin against whom allegations have been made since 1940.

Of those, 12 priests or former priests have been convicted in the courts, with 277 civil actions taken against 54 priests or former priests. Of these, 215 cases have concluded and 57 are ongoing. Costs to date to the Archdiocese of settlements regarding child sexual abuse by priests are currently €22.4 million, €15.2 million in settlements and €7.2 million in legal costs for both sides.

110 priests have been accused of child sex abuse

since 1940, in Dublin

This year more than 2,000 people took part in one-day safeguarding training sessions (953) and information sessions (1,161) at the archdiocese, more than double the figure for the previous 12 months.

Also 8,500 people were Garda vetted through the Archdiocese, an increase of 1,500 on 2015. It brings to nearly 54,000 the total number of people that have been vetted through the Dublin archdiocese.

Diocesan director of safeguarding, Andrew Fagan, said “we deal with complaints about a wide range of people apart from diocesan priests and there has been a notable decrease in the number of such cases coming to our attention since 2010. This proved true in 2016 also.”

The continuing decline in the number of complaints received meant the service could give more time and attention to the work in parishes to ensure the creation and maintenance of safe environments for children, he said.

This was reflected in the doubling of the numbers attending training and information sessions. Mr Fagan warned, however, that it was vital that no-one became complacent around the issue of child abuse, whether working directly in the Child Safeguarding Service or in a volunteer capacity in parishes.

The diocesan service was still very much alert to the need to help and support anyone who has suffered from child abuse and anyone who has concerns about child abuse, he said.

Church Volunteer Jailed for Decades of Child Sexual Abuse

A former Church of Ireland volunteer has been jailed for abusing 

more than a dozen young boys

Staff Reporter, The Irish News

    St. Patrcik's Cathedral, Dublin

A 77-year-old former Church of Ireland volunteer who continued to abuse children even after a conviction has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Dubliner Patrick O'Brien sexually abused 14 boys over several decades, including in St Patrick's Cathedral, using his Church work to gain their parents' trust.

He was jailed yesterday after pleading guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 51 sample charges out of a total of 159 abuse offences dating as far back as the early 1970s.

The boys, aged between seven and 16, were abused at several locations, including at St Patrick's in Dublin while people were praying, in Kildare, Westmeath and on his boat at Loughrea in Galway.

Judge Melanie Greally described O'Brien, of Knocklyon Road in Templeogue, as a predatory serial sex abuser.

Even though he was once caught and convicted in 1989, he continued to abuse and rape children for more than a decade.

He sexually abused boys in the electrical room at St Patrick's, in his car, and in their own homes.

When arrested in March 2014 he admitted the abuse dated from 1974.

All but one of the boys was abused and raped numerous times.

One of his victims told gardaí he was terrified he would end up abusing his own daughter because research suggested abused children go on to abuse as adults.

Another man, now in his forties, said the abuse had meant he missed his chance to marry and have children, while another said it had contributed to the breakdown of his marriage.

Following the sentencing, the Church of Ireland said St Patrick's Cathedral and the wider Church community "have been deeply dismayed at the nature and extent of the offences which have been brought to light in the case involving Patrick O'Brien".

Where were you in the 1990s when he continued to rape children after having been convicted? There needs to be an investigation into how this happened and someone should be charged.

"The Church commends the courage of Patrick O'Brien's victims in coming forward."

A Former Irish Government Minister Investigated for Child Sex Abuse

British parliamentarians don't have a monopoly on perversion

A former government minister is being investigated by gardaí amid allegations that he sexually abused children.

Leinster House, Dublin - seat of Irish government

A number of alleged victims have given separate statements claiming that they were subjected to abuse by the respected politician in the 1990s.

The Irish Independent has learned the alleged victims have individually outlined their stories to specialist detectives.

However, the investigation is in the early stages and the ex-minister has not yet had an opportunity to refute the allegations.

Sources revealed the alleged victims making the claims have emerged separately during the course of the past six months.

It is thought to be the first time a senior political figure in Ireland has found themselves at the centre of child abuse allegations.

The investigation is being led by the Garda National Protection Services Bureau (GNPSB), which is understood to be taking the complaints seriously.

The GNPSB is understood to have recently carried out a reconstruction of one of the scenes where it is alleged that the abuse took place.

The man at the centre of the inquiry had a distinguished career in politics.

The alleged victims, who are both male and female, claim they were assaulted at a location in Dublin and on separate occasions at an area in the midlands.

Dublin, Ireland

All of the adults who have made complaints to gardaí are from the Dublin region.

It is understood that the nature of allegations of sexual abuse is "not at the higher level of scale".

However, one of the complainants has also said he went to a Dublin garda station about the same man over a decade ago.

The alleged victim has told officers he made a previous effort to have the public figure investigated but that his statement was never properly followed up.

The Irish Independent has learned that despite claims the initial allegation was never progressed, no complaint about the lack of an investigation was ever received by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

The GNPSB is a newly formed arm of An Garda Síochána and consists of highly trained detectives who provide advice, guidance and assistance to gardaí investigating child sexual abuse, other sexual crimes and domestic violence.

They are considered elite officers and are based at Harcourt Square in Dublin city centre.

Sex abuse increasing
Meanwhile, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office, there was an increase in the number of sexual offences during the 12 months up to the end of June this year.

The overall category saw an increase of 3.3pc, which included an increase of 6.7pc in rapes and 6.5pc in sexual assaults.

Gerry Adams Apologizes in Parliament for Mistreatment of IRA Sex Abuse Victims

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has apologised to sex abuse victims "let down" by the IRA during the Troubles.

Mr Adams was speaking in the Irish parliament where the case of Belfast woman Maíria Cahill was discussed.

Ms Cahill claims she was raped as a teenager by a suspected IRA member and said she was later interrogated by the IRA who covered up what happened.

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny described Ms Cahill as "a force to be reckoned with".

Mr Adams said the IRA had sought to deal with some cases of abuse when asked to do so by families and victims.

"While the IRA volunteers were acting, in my opinion, in good faith, the IRA was ill-equipped to deal with such matters," he said.

"IRA actions against such sex offenders failed victims and that is a matter for profound regret from me and other republicans.

"So I'm acutely conscious that there may be victims who were let down or failed by the IRA's inability to resolve these cases.

"I want to apologise to those victims. Those who wish should come forward now and report their complaints to the appropriate authorities. "

Gerry Adams apologizing to sex assault victims mistreated by the IRA

Earlier, Mr Kenny described Ms Cahill as a very courageous woman after meeting her in Dublin.

He said Ms Cahill's story involved the leadership of the IRA.

"The most powerful people in the IRA conspired in this and I think it is reprehensible that a young woman of this courage and bravery should be kicked about in the last week," he said.

He said a number of other alleged victims of IRA abuse had contacted Ms Cahill with their stories.

Mr Kenny compared the IRA's handling of abuse cases and moving suspected abusers to other jurisdictions with past practice in the Catholic Church.

"These very much mirrored in what has happened here with IRA sexual abusers," he said.

He challenged Mr Adams to reveal if IRA members who were believed to have carried out abuse were exiled to the Republic of Ireland.

"Are those people still here? Is this true? Do you know of any activities they are involved in now?" he said.

"These are the most serious matters for everybody. Sexual abuse was rampant in many sectors in Irish society, not alone in paramilitary organisations, but you have responsibility for this, but we need to know."

Maíria Cahill met with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on Wednesday
He called her, 'A force to be reckoned with'

On Tuesday, the Public Prosecution Service announced a review into three court cases linked to Ms Cahill's claims.

Charges were dropped against those said to have been involved in the IRA inquiry and the alleged rapist was acquitted.

Earlier this month, the Belfast woman waived her right to anonymity to speak to BBC Northern Ireland's Spotlight programme.

She said that in 1997, when she was 16, she was subjected to a 12-month cycle of sexual abuse, including rape, by a man who was believed to be a member of the IRA.

Ms Cahill described how the IRA questioned her repeatedly, often several nights a week, for months about the abuse allegations, before summoning her to a meeting with her alleged abuser in early 2000.

Ms Cahill later went to the police, and a case was brought against Martin Morris.

All charges were dropped and Mr Morris was acquitted after Ms Cahill withdrew her evidence.

I'm sure there is a story there! It's curious why Ms Cahill met with the Irish PM and Gerry Adams apologized in the Irish parliament, when the abuse occurred in Northern Ireland.

Anyway, Mairia Cahill is my hero for the week. God bless her in her attempts to get justice for herself and other girls/women who were sorely abused in 'the troubles'.

Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Ireland's Cardinal Sean Brady

The Vatican has announced that it has accepted the resignation of the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal Seán Brady.

Last month, Dr Brady, who has been the leader of Ireland's Catholics for 18 years, confirmed that he offered his resignation to Pope Francis in July.

All cardinals are obliged to offer to resign when they reach their 75th birthday, but the Pope decides whether to accept it.

Cardinal Seán Brady led the Catholic Church in Ireland from 1996 and has
presided over the institution at a time of immense and turbulent change

His tenure had been beset by clerical child sex abuse scandals and claims that he helped to cover up one case.

Archbishop Eamon Martin has been announced as his successor.

Pope Francis has appointed him Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland.

He was appointed as coadjutor archbishop of Armagh in January 2013 and ordained in April 2013.

Cardinal Brady resisted calls to resign in 2010, when it emerged that when he was a young priest in 1975, he attended meetings during which two teenage sex abuse victims were sworn to secrecy after they alleged they had been abused by Fr Brendan Smyth.

Dr Brady said he was "pleased" that Pope Francis had accepted his resignation.

Sean Brady
Christened as John B Brady, he attended St Patrick's College in Cavan before entering the seminary at Maynooth, County Kildare.

After his ordination in 1964, he returned to Cavan to teach in his old school, and acted as a part-time secretary to the Bishop of Kilmore, the late Bishop Francis McKiernan.

He moved to Italy in 1980, were he was appointed vice-rector and later rector of the Irish College in Rome, before returning to Ireland to work as a parish priest in Cavan.

In February 1995, he was ordained coadjutor (assistant) Archbishop of Armagh, a post given to the man earmarked to succeed the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Following the retirement of Cardinal Cahal Daly, Seán Brady became archbishop of Armagh and primate of all Ireland in October 1996.

He was created a cardinal in November 2007.

Archbishop Eamon Martin and Mum

Archbishop Martin said he genuinely felt "honoured to assume the role of 'shepherd' in the Archdiocese of Armagh".

"No doubt many challenges lie ahead of me, but I look forward with trust and hope in God to sharing with others the joy of the Gospel," he said.

Brendan Smyth was at the centre of one of the first paedophile priest scandals to rock the Catholic Church on the island.

The Northern Ireland-born cleric, who was later convicted of more than 100 charges of child sexual abuse, died in prison in 1997.

However, instead of going to the civil authorities about the teenagers' allegations against him in 1975, clerics, including Seán Brady, took evidence from the pair and asked them to sign vows of silence.

Cardinal Brady apologised publicly for his role in mishandling the claims against Smyth, and described himself as a "wounded healer" who would, in future, prioritise the safety of children in the church.

However, in 2012, a BBC investigation into the case revealed that Dr Brady had failed to ensure the safety of other victims of Fr Brendan Smyth, despite being given their names and addresses by one of the two teenagers who had reported the abuse in 1975.

In his response to the BBC investigation, Dr Brady said he had been asked by his then bishop to record the allegations, and described his role as merely that of a "note taker".

Cardinal Brady added that as a priest in 1975 he had "absolutely no authority over Brendan Smyth" and was "shocked, appalled and outraged" when he discovered in the mid-1990s that Brendan Smyth had gone on to abuse others.

He apologised to one of the abused teenagers in May 2012, but said he had no intention of stepping aside.

In addition to his own personal difficulties, the cardinal has presided over the church at a time of immense and turbulent change, with falling church attendances, dwindling ordinations and strained relations between the church and state authorities.

A series of government-backed inquiries in the Republic of Ireland, including the Ferns Report, the Ryan Report and the Murphy report, laid bare the extent of clerical child abuse over many decades.

Public outrage at the abuse was compounded by evidence of church authorities' attempts to cover it up to protect the reputation of the institution.

The Brendan Smyth Story

Despite allegations being previously investigated by church officials, including the current Irish primate, Sean Brady, as far back as 1975, it was almost 20 years before he was jailed.

Instead the cleric, a member of the Norbertine order, was moved between parishes, dioceses and even countries where he preyed on victims who were as young as eight years old.

Brendan Smyth

As a priest in the Falls Road area of Belfast, he targeted four children from the same family. It was their courage in reporting the abuse to the police that led to his first conviction.

In 1991 he was arrested and released on bail, before spending the next three years out of the reach of police in Northern Ireland, when he stayed at his order's Kilnacrott Abbey in County Cavan in the Irish Republic.

It would appear that Cardinal Brady was a parish priest in Cavan at this time. He said he was shocked to find out that Smyth had gone on to abuse more children after 1975. Yet, could he have been kept in the dark about Smyth while he was part of Brady's parish? I seriously doubt it, especially as he had skipped bail and Northern Ireland was trying to extradite him.

Brady had three years to stop Smyth and didn't. It appears that at no time was he interested enough in Smyth or his victims to check on him to see if he was still molesting children or not. I'd call it a major FAIL for the cardinal and the church.

His case led to the collapse of the Irish Republic's Labour/Fianna Fail coalition government, when it emerged there were serious delays in his extradition to Northern Ireland in 1994.

When the priest finally appeared before a Belfast court, he was convicted of 43 charges of sexually assaulting children in Northern Ireland and was sentenced to four years in prison. 4 years - good grief! That's one year for almost 11 child molestations.

He was later found guilty of another 26 charges and given a three year sentence to run concurrently. My blood pressure is rising! 3 years for 26 charges and then to have it run concurrently means no extra jail time at all. The victims of those 26 assaults got absolutely no justice. They went through the grueling exercise of testifying for nothing. Concurrent sentencing should be abolished!

Upon his release from prison, Smyth was immediately arrested and extradited to the Irish Republic.

In 1997, the convicted paedophile again appeared before a judge - this time in Dublin - where he admitted to 74 charges of child sexual abuse over a 35-year period.

He had assaulted children in a hotel, a cinema, a convent and other venues across nine different counties.


Smyth died of a heart attack in prison in August 1997, just a month into his 12 year prison sentence.

A Man Who Sexually Abused a Vulnerable Teenage Girl is Jailed for Seven Years

David Cashin (46), of Thornleigh Court, Applewood Village, Swords, Ireland, had been convicted last month by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following a five day trial of sexual assault and buggery of the girl on dates between October 2002 and February 2005. The child was aged 14-years-old and Cashin was 35 when the abuse began.

Dublin Criminal Courts

Judge Sarah Berkeley said the abuse had been “a gross breach of trust involving a vulnerable young girl”. She said the abuse had been “systematic” and that it fell at the upper middle range of gravity. She noted that there had not been any violence involved.

Judge Berkeley said the young woman had shown “tremendous strength and resilience” and noted Cashin had not spared her having to give evidence. She imposed concurrent sentences totalling seven years. I hate concurrent sentences, they are the stupidest invention ever made in criminal justice.

Garda Alan Carberry told Anne Rowland BL, prosecuting, that the young girl suffered a series of tragedies in her life before coming into contact with Cashin whom she grew to trust.

The abuse began in late 2002. Later Cashin asked the girl to perform oral sex and gave her money. The child began to feel as if she was in a relationship with Cashin. They began having sexual intercourse in 2003 .Sexual contact continued a few times a week until the girl was 17 years old. Cashin also took naked photographs of the girl and videotaped them having anal sex. The tape was later destroyed at the girl’s request.

He would punish the girl if she did not please him sexually using various methods of control.

The woman outlined in her victim impact statement that she had been a child who was willing to please but Cashin had controlled and used her for his own satisfaction. “I was a puppet and he was the puppet master”, said the woman.

She said on hearing the verdicts she had cried tears, not of joy or sadness, but of validation.

Patrick Gageby SC, defending, said Cashin has no previous convictions and there had been no suggestion of him offending against anyone else sexually or otherwise. He submitted the offences had not been perpetrated by violence or fear.

Mr Gageby said the court had a difficult task to reconcile the natural revulsion for these offences with the good qualities displayed by Cashin and outlined in testimonials given to the court.

The court heard Cashin, who is unemployed, suffers difficulties with anxiety and stomach complaints.

Dublin Man Sent for Trial on 50 Counts of Child Sex Abuse

The defendant, who is in his 50s and cannot be identified for legal reasons, is facing 50 charges, including allegations he sexually assaulted one girl on three occasions and that he induced another girl into making pornography.

The man is also accused of engaging in a sexual act with a child under the age of 17 and was served with a book of evidence when he made his second appearance at Dublin District Court today.

Judge Cormac Dunne noted the DPP had consented to the accused being returned for trial on indictment.
Judge Dunne made an order sending him forward for trial to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where he will face his next hearing on May 23rd.

The judge also gave him the standard warning that if he intended to use an alibi in his defence he must inform the prosecution, including the relevant names and addresses, within 14 days.

The man, who has has not yet indicated how he will plead, was accompanied to the hearing by his solicitor Michael Hennessy, and he replied “yes, judge”.

Under the terms of bail, he has to sign in at a north Dublin Garda station two days each week. He has already surrendered his passport but cannot apply for duplicate travel documents and the Department of Foreign Affairs has been notified of this condition.

He is facing 40 charges relating to exploitation of a teenage girl contrary to Section 3 of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998.

One sample charge states that on a date unknown between December 1st, 2008 and March 21st, 2011, both dates inclusive, at a place within the State, he is alleged to have sexually exploited a named child by inviting, inducing or coercing her to engage in the production of child pornography.

Another sample charge under this legislation states that he is accused that on a date in March 2011, at a place unknown, he sexually exploited her by inviting, inducing or coercing her to engage or participate in a sexual, indecent or obscene act.

In seven other charges it is alleged that he engaged in sexual acts with a child aged under 17 on dates in 2011, Contrary to Section 3 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2006.

He is also accused of three counts of sexual assault of another girl which allegedly occurred: at two locations in Dublin in March and June 2007, and at a location in a Co. Donegal town in the same year.