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BreakingNews.ie
11 hours ago
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Man jailed for sexual assaults at Lough Derg pilgrimage site
A worker at the Lough Derg pilgrimage site who duped unsuspecting women and teenagers into helping him at the retreat so he could sexually assault them has been jailed for a total of four years. Tomas Gallagher (42) preyed on female victims by asking them to help him repair washing machines and tumble dryers during a series of terrifying incidents at the renowned religious setting. Advertisement Details of the plans hatched by Gallagher were outlined before Letterkenny Circuit Court last week. Gallagher had pleaded to seven charges in all, four for sexual assaults of adults, two for sexual assault on children and one charge of invitation to a child to sexually touch. On Wednesday, having considered reports on Gallagher as well as the statements from his victims, Judge John Aylmer jailed the father-of-one for five years with the last 12 months suspended. He said the crimes, as outlined in the case, were "egregious acts of violence in a sacred place of pilgrimage." Advertisement He told Gallagher that his crimes were "deceitful" and "premeditated" and that he placed them in the mid-range for such offences and which merited a sentence of seven years before mitigation. In mitigation, he noted an early plea, the fact that the accused had no previous convictions, and that he appeared to be remorseful and ashamed of his actions. Judge Aylmer also noted that Gallagher had undertaken 24 counselling sessions, that he was fully cooperative and that he had been ostracised in the local community. Taking the totality factor into account and that all sentences will run concurrently, Judge Aylmer said he was reducing the overall sentence to one of five years. Advertisement He then added that with regard to all efforts to encourage rehabilitation and the fact that it needs to be encouraged, he suspended the final twelve months of that sentence, meaning Gallagher will serve four years in prison. He is also to go under the supervision of the Probation Services for 12 months. Gallagher, from Rathanlacky, Dunkineely, Co Donegal, pleaded to a total of seven charges against five different women at the holy island on the shores of Lough Derg. He pleaded to six charges of sexual assault at St Patrick's Purgatory. Advertisement These offences are contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990, as amended by Section 37 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001. He also pleaded that in the same period and location, he did attempt, by inviting, inducing, counselling or inciting a child to sexual touching. This offence is contrary to Section 4 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2017. The victims, who cannot be named to protect their identity, ranged in age from their early teens to more mature women in their later years. All of the offences took place in 2022 when Gallagher worked both as a maintenance man at the retreat, as well as driving a boat taking pilgrims to and from the island. Advertisement Barrister for the State, Fiona Crawford BL and investigating Garda Joanna Doherty outlined the details of the incidents. Statements given to gardaí by the victims told how Gallagher had approached them, asking them to come into a laundry room as he needed help fixing various machines. The statements outlined how the unsuspecting women were asked to reach behind them into the machines while Gallagher fixed a "pipe." The women thought they were holding a pipe but instead they were gripping the accused man's penis. On one occasion, Gallagher told one of his victims to twist the pipe like she was 'revving a motorcycle.' Gallagher told another victim that the "pipe" would be soft and moist. An older victim was approached by Gallagher who asked her to reach behind a dishwasher and hold a pipe but she 'knew immediately it was no pipe' as it was warm and soft and felt like a penis. The woman couldn't see it, but the shocked woman jumped back and shouted, 'What the f*** is that?' The woman didn't tell anybody else about the incident that day but felt upset and did later tell her daughter about what had happened. On another occasion, Gallagher asked a young teenage girl to help him with a washing machine and asked her to hold a "pipe". She grabbed the "pipe" and he told her to 'hold it there' as he chatted to her about school. However, the girl told how the pipe didn't feel like plastic but was warm and had a rubbery texture and that it felt sticky or sweaty. Another teenager told in her statement how Gallagher asked him to assist her with a tumble dryer and told her to put her hand behind a wooden board and he got her to hold something. He told the girl to hold the "pipe" harder and then to loosen it and then to increase her grip before he said 'yeah, that's fine.' The young woman then said the pipe was "squishy, wet and warm" and when she stood up she saw Gallagher's penis sticking out from the zipper of his trousers. One young woman eventually came forward and told a person in charge what had happened, which led to others coming forward and making complaints of a similar nature against Gallagher. Gallagher was interviewed by gardaí on three occasions and initially denied anything untoward had happened. During one interview with Detective Garda Paul McHugh, Gallagher admitted asking one woman to hold a pipe on a tumble dryer as it had been leaking. He claimed the woman had got up and left for no apparent reason and he had been left nervous and embarrassed by the incident. However, he later admitted the offences and entered a guilty plea. Victim impact statements from the women were read out in court while two young women chose to read out their own statements. One young woman fought back tears as she told how, despite being the victim, she felt ashamed and disgusted by what had happened and often thinks about if she could have stopped this from happening to other women. She added that she often thinks about Gallagher's son and that she prays that he is safe. An older victim said she feels vulnerable and intimidated by what had happened and that she is sorry that she did not speak up sooner but was afraid that people would laugh at her or not believe her. Another victim told how she was a student but failed her exams because she became depressed after Gallagher's assault on her. However, she later completed her exams and was proud of herself and was determined not to allow her attacker to ruin her life further, but still feels he stole something from her. A teenage victim said she has been forced to attend counselling because of anxiety and that she is now always on edge and simply cannot trust men. She decided not to come to court as she feared that seeing Gallagher again would trigger her anxiety. Another woman, who now lives abroad and gave her evidence by videolink, told how she lives in an apartment with a lift and if a man gets into the lift she can't stop thinking 'what if?' She said she realises that she should not tar all men with the same brush but Gallagher's attack had made her an angrier, wearier and a meaner person as a result. She added that she does feel disgusted by what had happened, but sometimes feels glad that he had chosen her and that she had alerted the authorities to what was happening, as she hated to think what number of victims there might have been. Gallagher took to the witness stand and said he wanted to apologise to his victims. He said he 'truly regretted' his actions and was sorry for the hurt and pain he had caused his victims and their families. Asked by his barrister, Mr Colm Smyth, SC, if he realised this was a huge breach of trust, Gallagher replied that he did. He also revealed that he had engaged in 24 counselling sessions to better understand the impact his actions have had on others. Mr Smyth said his client accepted full responsibility for his actions, that he had now lost his employment and had become a pariah in the local community because of the publicity surrounding the case. He added the fact that the offences took place in a sacred place, a place of pilgrimage for Christian people going back many centuries, also had to be acknowledged. Mr Smyth suggested to Judge John Aylmer that there also has to be 'light at the end of the tunnel' for Gallagher, asking him to consider his client's remorse, his blameless life up until now and his guilty plea. The Prior of Lough Derg, Monsignor La Flynn, apologised on behalf of the pilgrimage following the jailing of Gallagher. Monsignor Flynn said he wished to express his deep sorrow that such abuse took place against members of staff there, including a minor. He said that he wished to apologise to those victims unreservedly for the hurt they have suffered and assure them of the retreat's support at this time. He said that during 2022, both himself and the then operations manager at Lough Derg were made aware of allegations of sexual assault by a staff member at that time. In accordance with their safeguarding policies and procedures, the allegations were immediately reported to An Garda Síochána for investigation, he said. Ireland Man admits range of sexual assault charges against... Read More "The member of staff was suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. He since voluntarily resigned his employment." The Diocese of Clogher, of which Lough Derg is a constituent part, and the Management of Lough Derg, are fully committed to adhering to the highest standards, practices, policies and procedures for safeguarding and, also, to cooperating with the statutory authorities in all such cases, he added. "If anyone else has a concern or complaint, either now or from the past, I encourage them to come forward and contact both the diocese and the statutory authorities via the following numbers," he said. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help .
BBC News
12 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Lough Derg: Tomas Gallagher jailed for sexual assaults at Christian pilgrimage site
A man who sexually assaulted five women at a Christian pilgrimage site in the Republic of Ireland has been jailed for a total of four Gallagher, 42, of Rathanlacky, Dunkineely, County Donegal, was handed a five-year prison sentence, with the final 12 months suspended, for a range of offences committed in 2022 at St Patrick's Purgatory on Lough before Letterkenny Circuit Court, the court heard Gallagher deceived his victims into helping him fix washing appliances in a laundry room before subjecting them to a series of sexual sentencing Gallagher, the judge described his crimes as "egregious acts of violence in a sacred place of pilgrimage". 'Deceitful and premeditated' Judge John Aylmer said an aggravating feature in the case was the ages of some of the victims, two of whom were teenagers, as well as the breach of trust described the incidents against the women, who cannot be named to protect their identities, as "deceitful and premeditated".Gallagher pleaded guilty to a total of seven charges involving five different women at St Patrick's Purgatory, which was recently designated a national pilgrimage pleaded guilty to six charges of sexual also admitted that, during the same period and at the same location, he attempted to invite, induce, counsel or incite a child to engage in sexual touching. A prosecuting barrister and senior garda (Irish police officer) outlined the details of Gallagher's offending when he worked both as a maintenance man at the retreat and a boat driver, taking pilgrims to and from the given to police by his victims described how Gallagher had approached them, asking them to help him in the laundry room as he needed help fixing various machines, such as washing machines and and tumble dryers, before he sexually assaulted woman eventually came forward and told a person in charge what had happened to her, which led to others coming forward with complaints of a similar nature against was interviewed by Gardaí (Irish police) on three occasions and initially denied anything untoward had he later admitted the offences and entered a guilty plea. Victim impact statements Victim impact statements from three women were read out in court, while two of the victims chose to read their own statements. One fought back tears as she spoke of how, despite being the victim, she felt ashamed and disgusted by what had victim said she was made to feel vulnerable and intimidated but was afraid to speak up sooner, fearing she would not be court heard from a woman who said she failed exams because of Gallagher's depraved acts. She said she later completed the exams, was proud of herself and was determined not to allow her attacker to ruin her life further.A teenage victim said she had to attend counselling, while another woman, who gave her evidence by video link, said Gallagher's attack had made her distrusting of men as a result of his actions. Gallagher took to the witness stand and said he "truly regretted" his actions and was sorry for the hurt and pain he had caused his victims and their judge said Gallagher came before the court on an early plea and appeared genuinely remorseful. He said the accused man was fully cooperative with the probation service and had undergone relation to the charges against the children, Gallagher was sentenced to five years in prison. He was given a sentence of three-and-a-half years on the other charges with the sentences to run last 12 months of the sentence was suspended for a period of 12 months on condition that Gallagher enter a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for 12 months following his release from prison and on condition that he continue under the supervision of the probation service. Unreserved apology from diocese In a statement from the Diocese of Clogher, the Prior of Lough Derg, Monsignor La Flynn, apologised to Gallagher's victims "unreservedly for the hurt they have suffered".He said that, along with the then operations manager at Lough Derg, he was made aware of allegations of sexual assault in 2022."In accordance with safeguarding policies and procedures, the allegations were immediately reported to An Garda Síochána (Irish police) for investigation," Monsignor La Flynn said."The member of staff was suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. He has since voluntarily resigned from his employment."The Diocese of Clogher, of which Lough Derg is a constituent part, and the management of Lough Derg are fully committed to adhering to the highest standards, practices, policies, and procedures for safeguarding, and to cooperating fully with the statutory authorities in all such cases."He urged anyone with "a concern or complaint, either now or from the past" to come forward and speak to the diocese and statutory authorities.
The Guardian
13 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
Two iconic routes, one unforgettable trip
Start: Carrickfergus Finish: Derry~Londonderry This legendary route is awash with stunning attractions, whether it's ancient castles, spectacular cliff landscapes, or utterly charming fishing villages. It's also home to some of the most famous icons on the island of Ireland. Start: Inishowen peninsula, County Donegal Finish: Enniscrone, County Sligo A road trip of epic proportions, taking in some of the island's most magical and awe-inspiring scenery. From wildlife sanctuaries to surfer paradises, this route has much adventure to offer, and has served as inspiration for many a legend.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Woman dies in crash in County Donegal
A woman in her 70s has died following a crash in Milford, County incident, involving a car and a van, happened at 19:30 local time on woman was pronounced dead at the scene and the male driver of the van, aged in his 50s, was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital for treatment of non life-threatening injuries There were no other injuries reported. The road remains closed at this time pending examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators. Local diversions are in (Irish police) are appealing for witnesses to this incident to come forward.
News.com.au
6 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Ex-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams wins BBC libel case
Former Irish republican leader Gerry Adams won a libel case against the BBC on Friday, and was awarded 100,000 euros ($113,000) in damages over a report containing allegations he was involved in killing a British spy. The BBC Northern Ireland "Spotlight" investigation broadcast included an anonymous allegation that Adams gave final approval for the 2006 murder of Denis Donaldson, a former official in the pro-Irish unity Sinn Fein party Adams once led. A jury in Dublin ruled that the 2016 programme containing the allegation was libellous. Adams, 76, had said earlier he would give any damages to "good causes" if he won. At a press conference in 2005, Adams revealed that Donaldson spied for the British intelligence agency MI5. The 55-year-old Donaldson, who later admitted working as a police and British agent, was found shot dead months later in County Donegal, where he lived close to the Northern Ireland border. In 2009, dissident Irish republican paramilitary group the Real IRA claimed responsibility for the murder. The BBC programme claimed the killing was the work of the Provisional IRA, and featured an anonymous testimony that claimed the murder was approved by the political and military leadership of the IRA and that Adams "gives the final say". The BBC argued that it acted in "good faith", that its programme was "fair and reasonable" and in the public interest, and that the allegation was supported by five other sources. Adams brought the case in Dublin as the Spotlight programme could be watched in Ireland, where it was seen by about 16,000 people. An online article also had some 700 hits in Ireland during a 14-month period after its publication in September 2016. - 'Grievous smear' - The jury was asked to decide whether the words in the documentary and the online article could be taken to mean that Adams had sanctioned and approved Donaldson's murder. The BBC argued the words were presented as allegations while Adams' side claimed the accusations were put forward as fact and were a "grievous smear" and defamatory. Adams also argued the BBC broke its reporting rules and that he suffered "an unjustified attack" by the BBC. The case at Dublin's High Court lasted four weeks and included 15 days of evidence from 10 witnesses, including Adams and BBC reporter Jennifer O'Leary. In total, more than 3,600 people were killed during Northern Ireland's sectarian conflict known as the "Troubles", which largely ended after a 1998 peace accord. Adams became president of Sinn Fein -- the paramilitary IRA's political wing during the Troubles -- in 1983, and served as MP from 1983 to 1992, and again from 1997 to 2011 before sitting in the Irish parliament between 2011 and 2020. In 2018 he stepped down as leader of Sinn Fein and has always denied being a member of the IRA.
