How did Dave Barry dupe us all?
Dave Barry: A pillar of Cork society who molested boys in his own home.
He was a legend in Irish scouting and a successful businessman who held several positions of trust in the community. But disgraced former scout leader, David Barry, was leading a secret double life, presenting in public as a pillar of society while molesting young boys in his own home.
Like other high-profile predators, he apparently hid in open sight, moving in the right business, social and political circles, while over the course of several years, enticing children to his ordinary semi-detached home on the southside of Cork city where he plied them with alcohol and molested them.
byÂ
Eoin English
Cork is a small city. Those who knew and worked with Barry know each other. Most are reluctant to talk on the record about the man they knew. They would prefer not to be associated with this story, some say. Another says he knows the mother of one of the victims and doesnât want to comment out of respect to them.
Others decline to talk publicly out of respect for the sake of Barryâs adult children.
One source said he knows them as decent people, whoâve done nothing wrong and who are now trying to pick up the pieces of their own lives.
Another former scout who was a close friend of Barryâs readily admits that he is struggling to come to terms with the shattering realisation that the man he called a friend molested children.
They all share a sense of deep shock, anger and disgust at Barryâs crimes, they all share a concern that the victims will get the help and support they need to rebuild their lives, and they also share the hope that if there are other, as yet unknown victims, that they too will find the strength and courage to come forward, and tell their stories.
Financial advisor, Eddie Hobbs, who knew Barry when he was a young scout in Cork, and later interacted with him in a professional capacity, is one of the few who is prepared to talk on the record.
When I heard the news about the charges, I was taken by complete surprise. I suppose I hoped it wasnât him
EDDIE HOBBS
Barry was a leader in the 37th Cork scout troop in Togher when Hobbs joined the scouts in the late 1970s.
âMy experience of him was fine. I have no bad memories of him,â Hobbs says.
âWhen I heard the news about the charges, I was taken by complete surprise. I suppose I hoped it wasnât him.
âWhen I read the news reports that he had been charged first, and then later pleaded guilty, I rang a few friends who would have known him around that time and none had any bad experiences of him either, thankfully.
âIt would appear from all the reports that these complaints relate to the 1980s and we had moved on from the scouts at that stage. But I remember Barry as very organised, and as quite a popular scout leader.
âHe did throw me out of the unit for fighting on the train coming down from a trip to Dublin but the 5th Cork took me in.
âThere were one or two people in the organisation that we would have expressed doubts or concerns about, you know, for a bit of leering, that kind of thing. There was one individual in particular that we all had concerns about, but with Barry, there were no red flags at all.
Hobbsâs experience of Barry is mirrored by all who provided insight and background for this article.Â
He is remembered as a well-respected, well-liked senior figure in the scouts, as a man who overcame a potentially crippling stammer, who built a successful photography business and provided employment for many, as someone who was well-known in the business and civic life of Cork, and who rubbed shoulders with various political, business and religious leaders over the years.
And a week before he turns 73, all are now left questioning how he got away with it - until now.
How did Dave Barry dupe us all?
Dave Barry: A pillar of Cork society who molested boys in his own home.
He was a legend in Irish scouting and a successful businessman who held several positions of trust in the community. But disgraced former scout leader, David Barry, was leading a secret double life, presenting in public as a pillar of society while molesting young boys in his own home.
Like other high-profile predators, he apparently hid in open sight, moving in the right business, social and political circles, while over the course of several years, enticing children to his ordinary semi-detached home on the southside of Cork city where he plied them with alcohol and molested them.
byÂ
Eoin English
Cork is a small city. Those who knew and worked with Barry know each other. Most are reluctant to talk on the record about the man they knew. They would prefer not to be associated with this story, some say. Another says he knows the mother of one of the victims and doesnât want to comment out of respect to them.
Others decline to talk publicly out of respect for the sake of Barryâs adult children.
One source said he knows them as decent people, whoâve done nothing wrong and who are now trying to pick up the pieces of their own lives.
Another former scout who was a close friend of Barryâs readily admits that he is struggling to come to terms with the shattering realisation that the man he called a friend molested children.
They all share a sense of deep shock, anger and disgust at Barryâs crimes, they all share a concern that the victims will get the help and support they need to rebuild their lives, and they also share the hope that if there are other, as yet unknown victims, that they too will find the strength and courage to come forward, and tell their stories.
Financial advisor, Eddie Hobbs, who knew Barry when he was a young scout in Cork, and later interacted with him in a professional capacity, is one of the few who is prepared to talk on the record.
When I heard the news about the charges, I was taken by complete surprise. I suppose I hoped it wasnât him
EDDIE HOBBS
Barry was a leader in the 37th Cork scout troop in Togher when Hobbs joined the scouts in the late 1970s.
âMy experience of him was fine. I have no bad memories of him,â Hobbs says.
âWhen I heard the news about the charges, I was taken by complete surprise. I suppose I hoped it wasnât him.
âWhen I read the news reports that he had been charged first, and then later pleaded guilty, I rang a few friends who would have known him around that time and none had any bad experiences of him either, thankfully.
âIt would appear from all the reports that these complaints relate to the 1980s and we had moved on from the scouts at that stage. But I remember Barry as very organised, and as quite a popular scout leader.
âHe did throw me out of the unit for fighting on the train coming down from a trip to Dublin but the 5th Cork took me in.
âThere were one or two people in the organisation that we would have expressed doubts or concerns about, you know, for a bit of leering, that kind of thing. There was one individual in particular that we all had concerns about, but with Barry, there were no red flags at all.
THE SCOUTING LIFE
Barry is perhaps best known for his leading role in the scouting movement in Ireland. He was a near-legendary figure in Cork scouting and was to many outside the scouting organisation, the public face of the movement in Cork.
One of his former scouts said: âScouting was his lifeâ.
Another scout, from a different troop, but who went on to become a leader and a friend of Barryâs says: âHe was seen as a wise owl.â
Barry was synonymous with the 37th Cork, a scouting unit founded in Togher in September 1960, a suburb on the cityâs southside which would have at the time been classed as disadvantaged or deprived.
One former scout said the 37th Cork was the go-to place for generations of young people from the area - especially for kids who didnât have a huge interest in GAA or soccer.
Thanks to the efforts of a core group of dedicated and devoted scout leaders, including Barry, the unit quickly garnered a reputation for being one of the best organised in the region, winning several awards at regional and national level.
âFor any kid back in the late 70s and 80s, there wasnât an awful lot there for us to do, there were few alternatives to hanging around street corners,â the former scout said.
âScouting gave us an opportunity to get involved in something else on winter evenings and on weekends, like going on camping trips, building tents, lighting fires, learning life skills. There was a real sense of adventure.
âIt provided that outlet for young people for generations - it still does.
âThere were families in Togher and from around Ballyphehane and Glasheen where all the brothers, in some cases up to five brothers from the same family, joined the 37th Cork over the years. That scout hall was a hub of activity.â
For the vast majority, their time in the 37th Cork was one of pure innocent fun, joy, adventure and excitement, where they made friends and learned skills for life.
For Barryâs victims, their time in the troop has left their life in ruins.
Barry rose quickly through the ranks, from scout to leader at the 37th, where he was involved in programme and activity planning, and later in leader training.
The former scout remembers him as âan authoritative but friendly figureâ.
âEveryone knew he was the leader, that he was an influential figure, not just in this unit but in scouting generally,â he said.
âHe exuded authority but he wasnât overbearing. He was friendly. But at the same time, you wouldnât disrespect him.â
A man who is still involved in the scouts today said Barry was hugely respected by senior scouting figures nationally, through his work training other scout leaders, offering help and advice to others on the setting up of other troops in the city, always striving to do his best for the scouting organisation.
âHe was very highly regarded and highly thought of,â he said.
âSure, there were some personality clashes at scouting meetings but that was just the way of it.
âDave was quite forceful in his thinking and people didnât always agree with the way he wanted things done, but you just got on with it.
In an era before social media, Barry compiled the âScout Notesâ for publication in the former Evening Echo for many years, using the platform to showcase the organisation, and indeed his role at the highest levels of it.Â
Barry, along with other leaders, accompanied groups of young scouts on countless day trips and weekend camping trips, to Kilcully campsite north of Cork city in particular, as well as on trips overseas.
The former scout said there were never any signs that anything untoward happened on any of these trips away.
âItâs scary now to think back to the nights away we had to Kilcully oblivious to what was going on,â he said.
âItâs worrying how that now corrupts the innocence of our youth, the adventure of being away from home.
âIt was chilling to discover that some of my friends from that time were going through this type of abuse around this time.
âAnd the secrecy and the veil that was pulled over his behaviour makes you question your own childhood experiences.
âI and my brothers all went through the unit but none of us ever had any issues.
âHis abuse has obviously had an horrific effect on his victims but in a way, his abuse has kind of affected everyone who attended that troop over the years - those who never had an issue with him but who are left now with so, so many questions.
âHis victims have been so brave to come forward but youâd wonder now how many others havenât come forward, how many of them are still suffering, how many are left with mental health or addiction issues due to that abuse.â
Scouts photographed with a street performer floating on air during their summer camp with Dave Barry in Austria.
Through adult eyes, and with the benefit of child protection policy training he has received in recent years, this former scout has in recent weeks been reassessing his time in the 37th Cork, with a focus on Barryâs interactions and behaviour.
He recalls the nature of the ârelationshipâ Barry had with one particular young scout who he believes may have been one of the complainants, and with the benefit of hindsight, he says the nature of Barryâs interaction at that time with this young lad has been troubling him.
âYou have to remember that at that time, we didnât know as much about child protection as we know now,â he said.
âOne of the main things volunteers learn today, especially those dealing with young people, is that when youâre finished in the volunteering role, you distance yourself from those youâre working with.
âNot in a rude or ignorant way, of course, but you do distance yourself. You certainly donât associate with minors outside the role.
âOne thing Iâve remembered since news of the charges emerged in recent weeks, and it has occurred to me over and over again, is that there was this one young person who Barry seemed to be extremely close to.
âI donât know exactly how to describe it but I remember Barry having âclose contactâ with this particular individual.
âAt the time, we just felt that this lad was like one of his favourites. But looking back at it now, it just wasnât the right thing for Barry to do.
âAgain, you have to remember that weâre talking about the 70s and 80s. Society was a different place. We didnât have Garda vetting, we didnât have the awareness, and some of what we might call âthe pillars of societyâ could effectively do what they wanted.
âThat certainly seems to be the case here. And it just proves that there are bad eggs everywhere.â
The man who is still involved in the scouts today says he is torn between the memory of the Barry he knew, and the crimes he committed.
He recalls how less than a decade ago, Barry helped care for a former scouting figure, who was also a member of a family which owned a former landmark hotel in Cork, as he died of cancer.
âHe cared for that man on his deathbed. It was incredible what he did for him,â he says.
âThere was never even a whisper about Dave Barry at the time. And I am torn now.
âHe was such a good friend to me, and to others, but itâs now clear that there were two men, two Dave Barrys - one was a gentleman, a most generous and kind man but now I know that same man was also a paedophile and I canât equate the two.
âItâs as if there were two separate identities.â
As well as feeling sorry for Barryâs victims, this scout leader also expresses concern for decent, kind, caring scout leaders who worked with Barry.
âThese are all good people. And they are all so, so upset over all of this,â he said.
âWhat comes into my mind today is 'How did he dupe us all?' "
1998: Attending the opening of the Scout museum at Togher, Cork, were from left, Dave Barry, Most Rev. Dr. John Buckley, Bishop of Cork and Ross, Joseph Lawler and Mary Lawler, John Dennehy TD, Most Rev RA Warke, Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross and Frank Mullane. Photo: Dan Linehan
âHe was such a gentleman. He would come to summer camps organised by other troops, and he would bring biscuits and cakes, and have the craic with the other leaders, and then ask if he could stay the night, and sure we saw nothing wrong with that.
âBut how can we see beyond all that now?
âI now question my own judgement from that time. I question how I was so stupid.
âI think this will affect scouting in a huge way, and those dedicated, honest, hardworking leaders that have given their lives to scouting.
âThese people are good, honest and caring. They are men and women, mums and dads, who all know each other and thatâs what made us so good. But this will rock the organisation to its roots.
âI feel so sorry for Barryâs victims. I feel so sorry for his children. Heâs ruined their lives as well.â
Scouting Ireland refused to answer a series of questions submitted by the Irish Examiner last month in relation to Barry's involvement with the organisation, about whether complaints were made about him or how it dealt with any such complaints. It instead issued a statement.
"We can assure members, parents, and the wider public that Scouting Ireland has a policy of full disclosure of any and all information in its possession relating to any child protection case, and we work closely with these agencies to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice and that young people are safeguarded," it said. âIt is the policy and requirement of Scouting Ireland that no adult takes part in scouting activities until their Garda vetting has been approved and they have completed the appropriate child protection training.
âChild protection training for adults involved in scouting is mandatory and Scouting Ireland trains thousands of adults every year to ensure informed compliance with best practices and statutory obligations.
âWe have a fully professional child protection team and our safeguarding procedures are independently reviewed by Mr Ian Elliott.
âWe are committed to making Scouting Ireland as safe as it can be and to ensure there is no hiding place for those who do wrong."
THE BUSINESSMAN
Born in Cork on June 30, 1948, David Paul Barry was educated at Presentation Brotherâs College. He lived with his wife in a semi-detached home in Firgrove, in Bishopstown, where they raised three children. When their marriage broke up, it was his wife who moved out, while Barry continued to live in the family home, where most of the incidents occurred.
A professional photographer, by 1978, Barry had acquired a company called Colour-Foto which had been established on Corkâs South Main St and within five years, he was listed as company chairman. Around the same time, he was also the honorary secretary of the Council of the Irish Professional Photographers Association.
He was joined in the business by another businessman, Aidan McCarthy, who was coincidentally, also very involved in the scouting movement in Cork, and the pair ploughed some ÂŁ100,000 into new equipment and the development of a new photo laboratory premises on Coburg St, which was officially opened in March 1983 by the late former foreign affairs minister, Peter Barry. The event was attended by the general manager of Kodak Ireland, Brian Magill.
The new lab, which employed 10 people, boasted state-of-the-art chemical processing and printing equipment which allowed professional photographers to drop off their film, and have it processed by the end of the day, or certainly by the following morning.
It was a game-changer for professional photographers in the region, who until that point, had to send their film away for processing, waiting days to see the results of their work.
In 1988, Barry got involved in a company called Mylasa Enterprises, trading as Barryâs Photographic, based on Pembroke St in the city centre, whose sole business was the provision of photographic services.
He became known as Corkâs âMr Photographyâ and his studio was one of the first to offer a full wedding photography service. It also specialised in portraits, industrial and commercial work.
Several photographers were on the studioâs books, learning their trade and honing their craft there over the years.
The studio listed AIB, Bank of Ireland, Cork City Council, Deloitte, Dunnes, and Thomas Crosbie Holdings, the former publishers of the Evening Echo and the Examiner among their commercial clients.
It also had a lucrative contract with CIT and UCC for several years which allowed their photographers exclusive access to the third level campuses during the annual conferring season to take all the formal graduation photographs.
One photographer who worked with him said: âYou have to remember that this was a time when people didnât have decent camera phones so this gig was like a licence to print money. Now, they put huge work into it, and it ran very smoothly, but still, it was worth a fortune to them.
âThey lost the contract when the colleges put the work out to tender later. But there must be thousands of photographs sitting on mantle pieces or hanging from walls in homes across the province with Barryâs Photographic on the frames.â
Barry was first arrested in February 2018 for questioning about sexually assaulting a young boy in the 1980s.Â
The studio also ran the Barryâs Childrenâs portrait competition over two decades which saw families bring their babies and toddlers to Barryâs studios for professional photo sessions. The photos of beaming babies were later published in the Evening Echo, and the winner and their family were often invited to City Hall where the Lord Mayor of the day would present the prize.
Barry was first arrested in February 2018 for questioning about sexually assaulting a young boy in the 1980s. He was released without charge but he was arrested again in February 2020 about allegations of abuse made by more than 20 men who alleged that they had been abused by Barry when they were teenagers and were alone with him.
Again, Barry was released without charge while garda investigations continued.
He would resign from his company positions just three months later.
THE COMMUNITY AND POLITICAL ACTIVIST
The church, the credit union, the community - Dave Barry was active in them all. In 1998, he was one of 15 people who were involved in the establishment of the Togher Link-Up, a special limited company funded largely by the Department of Justice, whose stated aim was to prepare and develop âa coordinated community drug response and prevention policyâ in the Ballyphehane, Togher, Bishopstown and Lough communities.
It was, in effect, an early community-based drug awareness project, designed to steer young people away from drugs.
He was one of the nominees to its board of directors, and his signature is on the companyâs memorandum of association, alongside priests, gardaĂ, teachers, social workers and youth workers. He resigned as a director in 2001.
Barry was associated with the Progressive Democrats from the mid 1980s, and counted many politicians, both local and national, from across the political spectrum, among his friends.
At the turn of the millennium, such was his own personal profile and reputation - he was by now the Muskerry County Commissioner for Scouting Ireland - he was approached by party activists in the Bishopstown area and asked to consider standing for the party in the 2004 local elections to Cork City Council.
A source familiar with the situation at the time said Barry ticked all the boxes: a community man, involved in the scouts, a well-known businessman.
âLike all political parties, we did some routine background checks on candidates but that was about it. And this was a local election so you wouldnât expect anything too controversial to emerge,â the source said.
Early in 2004, he declared as a candidate for the PDs in the cityâs south west ward for the June election - one of five candidates the party put forward in Cork city that year.
âThey (the PDs) have a can-do philosophy that appeals to me and I believe appeals to the people of the south west ward,â he was quoted as saying in February of that year.
Observers felt he was in with a shout of winning one of the wardâs five seats, given his standing in the community.Â
But his run for election was short-lived. In early May, just weeks before voters were due to go to the polls, Barry announced his withdrawal from the race, citing medical advice.
His withdrawal was sudden and unexpected.
Former party chairman John Minihan said Barryâs decision not to stand for election was his and his alone.
âHe was brought forward by the local branch in Bishopstown and was considered at the time to be a suitable candidate - given his community involvement and he was a well-respected businessman.
âHis sudden withdrawal came as a surprise to all and his involvement in the party ceased.â
2004: David Barry was a candidate in the 2004 council elections for the South West Ward. Here, he is pictured at the Progressive Democrats conference in Killarney with then TĂĄnaiste Mary Harney and then Minister for Justice Michael McDowell.
Photo: Don MacMonagle
While that was the end of his own political ambitions, he did stay active on the fringes of politics. One city councillor recalls Barry turning up at a political rally in a city centre hotel a few years later to support his own bid for election.
âHe was there as a friend,â he says.
Another politician from a different party recalls how on one election day, Barry was one of the first through the doors of a local polling station to cast a vote for him.
Barry was a Peace Commissioner, an honorary appointment made by the Minister for Justice. Peace Commissioners can take statutory declarations, they can witness signatures on documents required by various authorities, and they can sign certain certificates and orders under various acts.
Peace Commissioners also have the authority to issue summons and warrants, though these powers are rarely exercised.
The Department of Justice was asked to comment on Barryâs appointment but said it would not comment on individual cases.
In a statement, it said there are no qualifying examinations or educational standards required to be appointed as a Peace Commissioner but applicants are required to be a person of good character.
âMost Peace Commissioners are well established in their local community,â it said.
âWhere an individual is nominated or puts their name forward for consideration as appointment as a Peace Commissioner, it is the practice of the Department of Justice to obtain the views of An Garda SĂochana.
âPeace Commissioners are honorary appointments and there is no remuneration or financial compensation by way of fees or expenses for their services.
âAnyone who has been charged with or convicted of a serious offence is not considered suitable for the role of Peace Commissioner.â
He was a minister of the eucharist at his local church and in the early 90s, he joined the board of Bishopstown Credit Union - a position he would hold for over a decade.
One person who remembers him from his work there recalls how people viewed him as âa steady and solid presenceâ on the board.
âIf there was a difference of opinion at a meeting, or if there was some uncertainty over a particular course of action, people who turn often say âwhat would Dave Barry do? He was that guy,â he said.
You have to remember that this guy was an icon in the city, what you find with a lot of these predators is that they carry out their abuse with the consent of others involved in the abuse. In big cities, they can get away with it.
But Cork isnât big enough to be a big city so the question is how did he get away with it for so long? There was never a hint that he was engaged in this activity.
The victims, especially the first one to come forward, were so courageous.
EDDIE HOBBS
Hobbs, like the many others who knew Barry, said he finds it difficult to understand how the man he knew as a scout leader, and later the man he dealt with in a professional capacity, albeit fleetingly, could be the same person who abused children.
âI wonder what problem he was dealing with, and if it is worthy of study,â he says.
âIf Barry was dealing with inner demons by perpetrating sexual violence against young boys, I would hope that he would agree to volunteer himself to a study while in prison, to be studied by someone who is prepared to put a few years of study into his pattern of behaviour, so that psychiatrists or psychologists could learn something that would be of benefit in the study of such predators.
âMaybe the findings could help teach us how to spot people that have these tendencies, to spot the hidden predator.â
And Hobbs is full of admiration for Barryâs victims who were brave enough to come forward to GardaĂ with complaints.
THE FALLOUT
Barryâs last official senior role with Scouting Ireland was in 2006 but he remained in touch with many of those with whom he had forged friendships over the years.
Many of those friends say everything changed when news of his first arrest emerged, charges followed and his guilty plea.
One scout leader said he felt physically sick when the news emerged.
He later dumped many of the scouting awards that Barry had presented to him over the years, and tore up many of the photographs he appeared in with Barry.
JANUARY 2021: Report in the Irish Examiner on January 28th 2021, as a book of evidence is served on David Barry on 26 historical counts of sexually assaulting boy scouts.
âThere are photographs taken by Dave Barry and photographs featuring Dave Barry hanging on the walls of so many scouting halls all over this city.
âPhotographs of him presenting people with awards, photos of people, of children, having fun, so many people, so many lives, so much history.
âBut if people told me now that they wanted to take those photographs down, Iâd say no problem, just do it.
âI just havenât got the stomach or inclination to argue the point.â
And his thoughts turn again to Barryâs victims.
âMaybe the confidence instilled in them during their time in the scouts was what ultimately gave them the courage to come forward and make their complaints to the gardaĂ.
âMaybe that courage and confidence will get them through this. Maybe thatâs the only good to come out of all of this.â
I found out on my wedding day that I was not the only one you had interfered with. It was then I knew it was time to take action. I felt it was time the paedophile was exposed for what you are. It would take many years more for me to have the confidence to do it and I am glad I have done it.
For your own venal reasons you betrayed the trust of your friends, family and our society.
I didnât deserve this. I lived a blissful childhood until I joined the scouts and met Dave Barry. He stole my youth and my innocence. His abuse left me utterly distraught, confused and lost. I lived in a constant state of fear. I was trapped. Every time I tried to leave the scouts he manipulated the situation ensuring I stayed.
There was no way I could explain to anyone else what was going on when I didnât understand myself. Iâve had enough of the relentless guilt, shame and fear.
As I got older and became intimate with partners the memories of the abuse came back to me and affected that intimacy. He was walking around with not a care in the world while we all suffered in silence.
I believe the abuse was a factor in the break-up of my marriage and my performance in work as I had to take time off due to depression.
I had seen him only recently in a coffee shop. When I saw him I walked out and while sitting in the car I realised I had done nothing wrong. I went back in and ordered my coffee. He was not going to have a hold over me anymore.
Sally Hanlon, the founder and director of services at Support After Crime Services, has been working closely with several of Barryâs victims in recent months. Ms Hanlon said the victims in this case do not want to waive their right to anonymity, each for their own reasons. She spoke on their behalf.
âTheir families placed these young lads in the scouts, they put their faith in the scouts - a great organisation which does great work - and they feel very bad that their kids were let down.
âThey wanted to be in the scouts, but he stole that from them. Barry used the scouts to target these children and their parents feel very bad that they didnât know about this at the time.
âThey are grown men now but theyâve all had to revisit their childhood and relive again the impact and insecurity, the lack of confidence, theyâve had to carry feelings of shame and guilt through their lives, and they have not been able to talk about it for the fear of not being believed.
âThey have suffered since their teenage years, holding and shielding this secret. They now want him to suffer, they do want to see him punished.
âHis guilty plea has spared them having to give evidence but they believe that was done more for his own benefit than for theirs.
âHe has harmed the scouting organisation, a great organisation, and he has harmed those in the photography industry.
âI believe he owes an apology to the scouts for his deception, as well as to the victims and to their parents.
âItâs my own personal view that his victims should be entitled to compensation from his estate as a gesture of atonement for the hurt caused, and for the loss of opportunities they experienced in their lives as a result of his actions.
âAnd I feel exceptionally sorry for his family too - theyâre victims of his too.â
She paid particular tribute to Detective Inspector Gary Duggan, based at Bishopstown Garda Station, who investigated the complaints, and said his regular contact and communication with the victims gave them the confidence to come forward, and to stick with the process.
âThis case shows that it doesnât matter who you are, or how long you thought youâd got away with it - it will catch up with you,â Ms Hanlon says.
Turning to his victims again, she says: âThey are not going to let him beat them for the rest of their lives..
âWe will stay with them, at their pace, and assure them that we are there for them.
âI would encourage any victim of abuse, either sexual or physical, to come forward, to report it, to speak to somebody, and I can assure them that theyâll get all the help and support they need.
âMy wish for Barryâs victims now is that they will be able to move on to a better place in their lives now that the court process is over.â
Support After Crime Services
021-432 0555
www.supportaftercrimeservices.ie
Sexual Violence Centre
1800 496 496
Irish Examiner Longread
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