This article is from page 8 of the 2012-11-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
A FORMER GAA coach who indecently assaulted two young boys in areas of Clare over a three-year period in the early 1980s will be sentenced next January.
James ‘Tony Lowry’ Maher (69), of Clonroadmore Beg, Ennis would drive the victims around Clare, buying chips, cigarettes and alcohol before performing sexual acts on them.
Ennis Circuit Criminal Court heard yesterday that the abuse of one young boy began in 1982 when the accused was the manager of a hurling team. Mr Maher previously pleaded guilty to 14 counts of indecent assault in respect of this victim, committed in areas of Clare between January 1982 and July 1984.
Mr Maher, a founder member of the Banner GAA Club, would call to the boy’s house after going for drinks with his father. The boy was staying with another relative at the time.
Detective Garda Beatrice Ryan of Ennis Garda Station told the court that the former Clare County Council employee would drive the boy home from training and matches.
“He would’ve been classed as quite a close friend of the family,” she said.
The court heard that the abuse progressed from Mr Maher masturbating the victim to performing oral sex on him. On one occasion, Mr Maher assaulted the boy when they were parked at Drumcliff graveyard.
Detective Ryan said the abuse carried on for five to 10 times a month from 1982 onwards. She said the abuse stopped when the boy got old- er and decided to move away from Ennis. Mr Maher was arrested on January 6, 2010 and made admissions to gardaí, including to offences that the complainant had not told gardaí about.
Mr Maher told gardaí that he developed a liking for young boys after starting coaching with the GAA club.
Mr Maher also pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault against another young boy committed in areas of Clare between July 1984 and April 1985.
The court was told that Mr Maher first met the boy when he picked him up hitchhiking. The court heard that the boy had endured “quite a difficult upbringing”. Mr Maher would call to the house with clothes and food for the family.
Detective Ryan said, “He saw himself as somewhat of a helping hand.”
She told the court that Mr Maher told the boy to ring him at work. On one occasion, he assaulted the boy in the toilets of offices of Clare County Council.
Assaults also took place in the victim’s home while members of his family were in another room. The court heard that Mr Maher also brought the boy to a bed and breakfast in Dublin, checking in as father and son.
Mr Maher was interviewed in January 2010 and made admissions to gardaí.Mr Maher previously worked with Dublin Corporation and Limerick County Council before moving home to work as a draughtsman with Clare County Council. The court heard he played with the Banner GAA Club, as well as serving as President and PRO.
Counsel for Mr Maher, Andrew Sexton SC, told the court that he had been instructed at an early stage to apologise unreservedly to the victims.
He said Mr Maher suffers from depression and diabetes. He said Mr Maher had cooperated fully with gardaí but had lived his life in a “very bizarre way.”
Mr Sexton said prior to engaging in this “outrageous criminal conduct” Mr Maher had contributed a lot to his local community.
He said Mr Maher is very well known in the community and would suffer “utter shame”. Judge Caroll Moran adjourned sentencing until January 14, 2013.
He said reporting restrictions applied to the identity of the complainants but not the accused.