A former Christian Brother yesterday went on trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on charges of indecently five schoolboys while a teacher at the North Monastery Secondary School in Cork city in the 1980s.
Edward Bryan (58), of Martinvilla, Athboy Road, Trim, Co Meath, pleaded not guilty when arraigned on a total of 12 charges of indecently assaulting the five boys at the school on various dates during the 1980s.
Yesterday, the first of the five complainants told the court that Mr Bryan – then known as Br Bryan – had sexually assaulted him after asking him if he was interested in playing basketball for the school when he started going there as a first-year student.
He alleged Br Bryan used to get him and another boy to strip down to their Speedos swimming trunks to do push-ups in the science lab. The trial continues on Thursday.