Yesterday at Dublin District Court, former rugby coach John McClean was charged with more than 30 counts of assaulting schoolboys at Terenure College between 1973 and 1989.

Mr McClean, a former director of UCD’s rugby academy, is charged with indecent assault on nine boys over a 17-year period.

The charges were prompted by work from investigative journalist Gemma O’Doherty, who spoke to a number of Mr McClean’s alleged victims in Village magazine in the past year.

The reports claimed some gardai were aware of allegations against Mr McClean for decades.

Ms O’Doherty covered the matter last night on her Livestream with court correspondent Tom Tuite. Watch here.

Former rugby coach charged with more than 30 counts of assaulting schoolboys at Terenure College (Irish Independent)

Terror-nure (Gemma O’Doherty, Village)

Rugby’s Dirty Secret (Gemma O’Doherty, Village)

Pic via Village

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33 thoughts on “Charged

  1. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

    Midlands or Arbour Hill prisons for sex offenders. I wish they’d stick them in Mountjoy–see how smart and devious they are then. Since I’ve become a parent I’ve become extremely right-wing on such points.

    1. Increasing Displacement

      I don’t know why a lump hammer to the genitals isn’t used to sort these types of issues

      1. postmanpat

        Because he allegedly prayed on the boys that had no strong male guardians at home. That’s what Id do if was a predator. I would say I was working late in the school some weekend, I would wait for everyone to go home and say I would lock up. Then, when the coast is clear, Id go through the filing cabinets to research my marks. Id try to build up a picture of each if my prays home life based on test scores , attendance records, disciplinary records, whos signing the homework and bold slips etc.. Then I would take a little road trip to see where each of these youngfellas live, get a feel for the area. Then (a little trick form the Catholic priest playbook): make contact with the parents on some false pretense. like, say I was dropping little Johnny’s jersey home that he left behind the other day. “what? its not his jersey” “oh it must have been one of the other kids…..come in for a cup of tea? sure ill pop in for one” scope out the home situation. busy single mother, no dad or big brothers…sweet! Go home , masturbate to child pornography for the weekend. Monday morning . Wake up to a new week full of new possibilities….. Little Johnny (the first of many victims ) has no protection or recourse because I’ve anticipated his every move. Lump hammer to the balls? By who? I don’t see any male family members going to see Johnny’s matches. If I think this is the day he might go home to tell his mam, Ill hop in the car and make sure I’m sitting in the kitchen having a cuppa and a innocent chat with his mam by the time he walks in. Standard Priest stuff really. People are stupid and cow to perceived authority figures all too often. Priests tells you to do something? you better do it. Teacher tells you to bend over? do it. Judge advises you as a juror to consider all the gossamer thin extenuating circumstances used to defend a rape suspect by a snake barrister? better say “not guilty”. Most people couldn’t find there own balls . let alone bashing a perverts balls in. And the perverts know it.

        1. :-Joe

          Pat loving the mdness and the details and you’re not far wrong… if you are at all…

          If I’m ever wanted for doing something as deplorable as this I hope you, jess and your new detective agency is not on the case..

          Glad to see you’ve moved on from that weird village where everyone acts all happy and friendly in the same way every day like a cartoon episode of the twilight zone.

          :-J

      1. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

        I couldn’t vote for the death penalty. But I’d happily allow them go into a prison where they could get killed. I can see the slight flaw in my logic, but hey ho.

        1. Brother Barnabas

          well maybe I wouldn’t either if I had a emotion-free think about it

          but in for life – never allowed return to society

        2. Boj

          So Andy is Pro-Life…Devils advocate moment…Would it be fair to say that you already did vote on the death penalty in the form of choice? Does that not count?
          I’m going to get attacked now aren’t I?

  2. Dilly

    mainstream media in ireland often seem to be months or years behind the narrative that history will impose – Climate, Direct Provision, Maurice McCabe, Sugarman etc etc.

    1. Rob_G

      I’m pretty sure all of those things have been reported extensively in the in MSM for a long time.

      Also, would Village not count as MSM(?)

        1. rotide

          You mean despite it being a publication with a wide circulation and availble readily to the mainstream?

          Come off it, its the MSM as is commonly understood.

          1. Eoin

            I don’t think it does have a wide circulation. It stopped being audited by ABC many years ago. I think its most recent audited circulation in 2006 was around 4,000 (and that’s every two months). I’d be surprised if it sells more than 3,000, and it’s probably closer to 2,000.
            I looked high and low in Waterford and Drogheda for a newsagent that sells it, no luck.
            I really don’t think you can call it mainstream.
            Gemma, Frank Connolly, Mel Reynolds, Ger Cunningham, Constantin Gurdgiev and guest writers are worth the €4 cover price.

    2. BobbyJ

      & it’s the primary reason I buy every issue of Village (even though the huge number of typos do the magazine no favours)

      BTW, your articles on Limerick are excellent

  3. Catherine costelloe

    I really admire the bravery of victims in coming forward and wish them well. It’s highly likely Gemma ‘s coverage gave more victims the courage to speak up.

  4. A Person

    Yeah, it was Gemma who brought the prosecution – nothing to do with the victims coming forward. FFS.

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