A daily Mass-goer and "pillar of society" who systematically abused four young brothers over 20 years near Spiddal, Co Galway, was sentenced to four years in prison at Galway Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.
Matthew Keady (68), of Spiddal, Co Galway, faced over 100 charges and pleaded guilty last December to 12 sample charges of buggery and indecent assault of the four boys. He applied to change his plea to not guilty last May, but Judge Carroll Moran refused the application.
Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Moran said it had been a very difficult case. The details were particularly appalling, because the offences had stretched over 20 years. Four boys had been buggered and indecently assaulted. One boy had been abused over 12 years, while another was only six when the abuse started.
He said the "trauma suffered by the young boys was aggravated all the more by the fact that they regarded him as a pillar of society and they thought they would not be believed if they told someone at the time the abuse was taking place".
He refused leave to appeal the sentence. Judge Moran said he had taken into account the fact that Keady had not reoffended and was unlikely to do so.
Afterwards, Ms Carole MacDonnell from the Galway Rape Crisis Centre, said the sentence was too lenient, but she was glad leave to appeal had been refused.
Last month, the court heard evidence that the abuse took place on various dates between 1960 and 1980 at Keady's parents' home, in a cow shed, in fields and on a lonely dirt road when some of the victims were as young as six years old.
Keady had been involved in the youth club, was a unit manager in a factory and was a daily Mass-goer who was "well in" with the local clergy, nuns, garda∅ and business people of the town.