LIMERICK MAN CHRISTOPHER O'MAHONY EXPOSED AS MONSTER AND PAEDOPHILE IN SHOCKING CASE

In a deeply disturbing case that has shocked the community of Limerick, Christopher O’Mahony, aged 67, of Kerrykyle, Ardagh, was publicly identified as a perpetrator of heinous sexual abuse by his own daughter and sister-in-law. The revelations came to light during a court hearing at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court, where O’Mahony pleaded guilty to 18 out of 54 counts related to the sexual assault and indecent assault of two young girls, including his daughter, Emma O’Shaughnessy (née O’Mahony), and her aunt, Helen Costelloe.

Emma O’Shaughnessy, who bravely broke down in court while recounting her traumatic experiences, described her father as a “monster” and a “paedophile” who subjected her to years of abuse starting when she was just nine years old. She detailed how her father’s actions had shattered her family, with her mother and two sisters choosing to support O’Mahony despite the abuse. Her emotional testimony painted a picture of a family torn apart by betrayal and pain, leaving Emma feeling fatherless, motherless, and estranged from her siblings.

The prosecution, led by barrister Lily Buckley, outlined how O’Mahony systematically “depleted and degraded” his daughter through a combination of sexual, psychological, and physical abuse. The court heard that the sexual assaults began under the guise of applying ointment for a rash, which O’Mahony insisted he needed to do in the privacy of the family bathroom. Once inside, he would remove her clothing and carry out the abuse, both physically and verbally. Emma was told that these acts were to be kept secret, with her father warning her not to tell her mother, who was often away working at the time.

Emma described the profound impact of the abuse, stating, “What my father did to me was inhumane – when my father sexually abused me, he erased me as a person.” She recounted feelings of disgust, shame, and dirtiness, describing how she would scrub her skin raw in an attempt to rid herself of the perceived filth. Her testimony revealed the lasting scars of her trauma, including a lifelong fear of using toilets, which was exacerbated by her father’s control over her bathroom habits, leading to urinary tract infections and further humiliation.

The sexual abuse persisted until Emma, then 13, managed to fight back by pushing her father away during an incident at their family home. Despite this, the court heard that the physical and psychological abuse continued under O’Mahony’s oppressive rule, which he enforced with an “iron fist.” Emma also revealed that her father belittled her speech, resulting in her speech being “altered,” and that he controlled her toilet use, which caused her ongoing health issues.

The abuse by O’Mahony was brought to light publicly after a family meeting on July 4, 2021, when Emma’s aunt, Helen Costelloe, disclosed that she had also been sexually abused by O’Mahony from the age of nine until she was 15. Just three days later, on July 7, 2021, O’Mahony voluntarily surrendered himself at Henry Street Garda Station, confessing to the authorities that he was “handing himself in.”

Helen Costelloe recounted that O’Mahony’s abuse began shortly after he moved into her family home following his marriage to her sister. She described the profound and lasting impact the abuse had on her life, emphasizing that it started soon after she served as a flower girl at her sister’s wedding to O’Mahony in the early 1980s. Throughout the proceedings, O’Mahony showed no visible emotion, and through his legal representative, he stated that he did not dispute any of the evidence presented against him.

O’Mahony was remanded in custody and is scheduled for sentencing on Thursday, March 20. The case has left a community in shock, highlighting the devastating effects of abuse within families and the importance of justice for victims of such heinous crimes.