Former GAA Treasurer Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Campaign of Sexual Abuse

PA Reporters

Thomas McKenna, 62, with an address at Maghaberry Prison, has been sentenced to 16 years for what a judge called “a campaign of sexual offending” against 23 boys and young men across almost 30 years.

The former GAA club official pleaded guilty to 162 sexual abuse offences that took place between 1989 and 2018.

Judge Patricia Smyth accused him of an attempt to “continue the psychological power games that you’d played for years” in how McKenna pursued his legal defence, and said that the psychological harm McKenna had inflicted on his victims was “immeasurable”.

“There is no sentence that this court can pass that will repair that damage,” she said.

“I am passing an extended custodial sentence of 16 years with an extended licence period of seven years,” she said, adding that his name will be placed on the sex offenders register for life and he will be disqualified from working with children.

Following the sentencing his 23 victims said that “the pain and suffering” they experienced would now not be felt by another generation.

“We thank Her Honour Judge Patricia Smyth for the sentence handed down earlier today. As a group, we sincerely thank our families, our community and the members of the Crossmaglen Rangers club for the unwavering loyalty, support, and care you have provided us,” solicitor Cormac McDonnell said, reading out their statement.

“We want to thank the police service for the empathy and swiftness in which they dealt with the crimes committed against us, from when they were first informed almost five years ago.

“In addition, we also wish to thank the Public Prosecution Service, and the prosecution team, for their professionalism and diligence in carrying the case to court and ensuring we received guilty pleas for the litany of crimes committed against us when we were children, and most importantly, to ensure that this individual will never be a part of our community again.

“While there were may difficult days as we relived the crimes committed against us, we, as a group, are immensely proud of the strength, dignity and unity we displayed throughout this process to get the justice we deserve and ensure that the pain and suffering inflicted upon us will not be felt by another generation in our community.

“We urge anyone else who has suffered similarly to take confidence from our journey and to reach out to the relevant authorities.”

Former GAA official Thomas McKenna