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Connemara man found guilty of sex abuse of schoolboy
Galway Bay fm newsroom – A 58-year-old Connemara man has been found guilty by a jury of the sexual abuse of a schoolboy over a four-year period during the 1970’s.
James Kelly, a native of Connemara, who has lived in Galway city since 1981, and now resides at 22 Beal Srutha, Ballybane, denied sixteen charges of indecently assaulting the boy between January 1976 and December, 1979.
The three-day trial at Galway Circuit Criminal Court was told the accused told the then victim that what he and the victim was doing was wrong and if he told anyone he would be taken away from his family.
Prosecuting barrister, Conor Fahy told the jury of six men and six women that the accused was 21 when he started to abuse the boy who was aged 6 or 7 at the time.
The victim, who is now 44, said the abuse started with touching and escalated as time progressed.
He said it took place every day at various locations, including a church, a school and a business premises.
The victim said he told his parents about the abuse in 2003 and finally made a complaint to Gardai in 2007 when he became concerned for his own children’s safety.
The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on all sixteen charges.
Prosecuting State barrister, Conor Fahy, objected to an application by defence counsel, Bernard Madden to grant Kelly bail pending sentence.
Judge Rory McCabe said that in the interests of justice, Kelly had to be remanded in custody.
Judge McCabe remanded Kelly in custody to appear before the court again on February 18th next for sentence.
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
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