Former teachers at Cork school to be tried on sex assault charges

All three men charged with indecently assaulting pupils at Colaiste Chroi Naofa in Carrignavar

Two former teachers at a boarding school run by a missionary order in Co Cork are to be tried by judge and juries at circuit court level while a third former teacher at the school is to be tried by a judge at district court level.

All three men, Donnacha Mac Carthaigh (80), Tadhg O'Dalaigh (69) and Liam O'Brien (66) are charged with indecently assaulting pupils at Colaiste Chroi Naofa in Carrignavar on various dates between 1969 and 1989.

The three men were all members of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart order during the period in question and the abuse is alleged to have happened at Coláiste Chroí Naofa when it operated as a boarding school run by the order.

Mr Mac Carthaigh, a former principal at the school, now with an address c/o Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Western Road, Cork, is charged with a total of 42 counts of indecent assault on 14 boys at Coláiste Chroí Naofa on various dates between 1969 and 1989.

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Mr Ó Dalaigh, with an address at Mount Merrion Avenue, Blackrock, Dublin, is charged with two counts of indecent assault on two boys at Coláiste Chroí Naofa on various dates between 1979 and 1985.

And Mr O’Brien, also with an address at Mount Merrion Avenue, Blackrock, Dublin is charged with one count of indecent assault on a boy at Coláiste Chroí Naofa on a date between 1985 and 1986.

Yesterday at Cork District Court, Sgt Anna Marie Guiney of Glanmire Garda Station confirmed that she served separate books of evidence on both Mr Mac Carthaigh and Mr O'Dalaigh in relation to the separate charges that they face.

Insp Eileen Foster said that in the case of both Mr Mac Carthaigh and Mr O'Dalaigh, the DPP had consented to trial by indictment judge and jury and she applied to have both returned to the next sittings of Cork Circuit Criminal Court starting on February 4th.

Judge Con O'Leary granted both applications and remanded both Mr Mac Carthaigh and Mr O Dalaigh on continuing bail on their own bonds to appear at Cork Circuit Criminal Court sitting at the Washington Street Courthouse in Cork on February 4th.

Insp Foster said the DPP had directed summary disposal at district court level of the single charge against Mr O’Brien and, on hearing an outline of the allegation, Judge O’Leary accepted jurisdiction in the matter.

Judge O'Leary adjourned the case against Mr O'Brien to Cork District Court No 3 where Judge Aingeal Ni Chonduin fixed the matter for trial on January 28th next and remanded him on continuing bail to appear again on that date.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times