Former GAA coach sexually abused five young boys

A former GAA coach has been convicted of a horrifying series of sex assaults on several schoolboys.

Ronan McCormack, who is now aged 71, was found guilty of 53 of 54 charges of indecent assault on five boys aged between nine and 13.

His trial, which lasted for more than two weeks, heard of his abuses against the children when he was in his 30s.

The father of three girls conned their families into believing some of them could safely overnight at his home. McCormack, a farmer of Cuppanagh, Cloonloo, Co Sligo, even abused boys before trips to Croke Park.

He was convicted of indecent assaults in his home, in his car, at a breakfast table in his kitchen, on fishing trips, and on lakes and rivers.

On one occasion, while umpiring an U12s football game, he indecently assaulted a player on the football pitch.

The jury of 11 men and one woman heard that the offences were committed between October 1981 and August 1986.

During that time, McCormack coached four of the boys. The fifth became known to him through a family friendship. All parents trusted him with their boys.

The first witness told the court how the coach persuaded him when he was 11 to examine a county championship medal in his darkened bedroom and then sexually assaulted him for the first time.

The coach then drove him home to have tea with his mother.

McCormack was also accused of indecent assault against one victim when he was aged 10 at a football pitch near his home, and when he was 11 after they had been to Croke Park.

One of the victims told of being sexually abused several times as a 12-year-old before two Croke Park games in the early 1980s. He was indecently assaulted at the coach’s home.

He said: “I would have to stay over at his house the night before because he wanted to get to Mass before going on the train.”

The witness said before one of the matches in Dublin the coach arrived in a bedroom naked and climbed into the bed beside him with the words “don’t be shy”.

Then the coach indecently assaulted him a number of times during the night.

The sexual assaults were repeated the following month.

Judge Petria McDonnell rejected a prosecution application that McCormack be remanded in custody when she was told that he required time before sentence to deal with family affairs.

He was remanded on bail for reports and sentence on June 17.