NOAH WALSH'S HORRIFIC ABUSE IN COUNTY MONAGHAN: A WOMAN'S PAINFUL JOURNEY FROM TRAUMA TO FORGIVENESS

In a deeply disturbing case originating from County Monaghan, a woman has come forward to recount the unimaginable abuse she endured at the hands of her father, Noah Walsh. Her story reveals a history of horrific violence, sexual assault, and emotional torment that spanned many years, beginning in her childhood and continuing into her teenage years.

From the age of six, the woman, now 46, was forced into a role of a 'dutiful wife' by her father, Noah Walsh. Following her mother’s departure from the family home, Walsh took on a controlling and abusive role, subjecting her to both physical and emotional abuse. She describes how she was made to cook, clean, and care for her five younger siblings, often at the expense of her own education and childhood. Her early memories include being taught to box by her father, who expected her to fight him despite her young age and evident discomfort. She recalls her father’s harsh treatment of her mother, calling her lazy and useless, and physically assaulting her.

Her mother left the family home twice during her childhood, once when she was six and again when she was ten. Each time, Walsh’s treatment of her intensified, and she was made to stay home to perform household chores instead of attending school. She was responsible for preparing breakfast, packing lunchboxes, and washing clothes by hand, as the family lacked modern appliances. Walsh’s custody of her was secured when she was still very young, and he continued to exert control and intimidation over her.

Judy, as she is known, recounts how her father threatened her with knives and subjected her to relentless housework that left her exhausted. He would keep her awake until he was ready to sleep, then demand she sleep in his room, where he would force himself on her. She describes how she was sexually assaulted and raped by her father from a young age, leaving her feeling confused, worthless, and in pain. Her siblings were unaware of the abuse, and she managed to keep her pregnancy a secret, although she miscarried that year.

At 13, her suffering worsened when her father broke her bones and threatened to shoot her. He told her she was evil and unworthy of his love, claiming he had sacrificed his own life to save her. The threats escalated to violence, culminating in a shooting incident when she was 14, in which her father shot her in the chest. A neighbor intervened, calling an ambulance, and doctors warned her she might have died. The police were misled into believing she had shot herself.

Throughout her childhood, the family moved frequently to avoid neighbors and school authorities discovering the abuse. Her father forbade her from making friends or attending school, isolating her completely. During this period, she fell pregnant a second time. Desperate for companionship, she hoped to keep the baby, but her father, fearing exposure, punched her in the stomach and subjected her to hot baths in an attempt to terminate the pregnancy. Ultimately, he performed a home abortion using a coat hanger. Two years later, she underwent another abortion at a clinic.

Feeling responsible for her pregnancies, Judy later apologized to her father, believing she was at fault due to her brainwashing. At 20, she managed to escape her abusive environment, fleeing to London where she trained as an accountant. Her journey took her to South Africa, where she met a man named Tiny, who encouraged her to report her father’s crimes to the authorities.

In October 2000, Noah Walsh, then aged 55, appeared before the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, where he admitted to multiple charges, including three counts of rape and two counts of indecent exposure. The court was told that these charges represented only a fraction of the 30 allegations against him. Judy, who had since married, testified in court, directly confronting her father as she recounted her traumatic experiences. She described how Walsh had portrayed their relationship as a 'special' bond, claiming they lived as husband and wife, which he expressed as the reason for her leaving his home.

Justice Carney described Walsh’s crimes as among the worst of their kind he had ever encountered. Walsh, a resident of Sandymount, County Monaghan, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his actions.

In 2004, Judy received news that her father was in a hospice suffering from terminal lung cancer. Deciding to visit him, she sought closure and to express her feelings. She described her visit as a moment of compassion, where she told him she loved him, despite everything. Walsh, frail and ravaged by illness, was confused about her reasons for visiting, but she felt no anger or hatred. She expressed her love and forgiveness, acknowledging her complex feelings towards her father. After his death, she felt a sense of peace, knowing she had confronted her past and found some measure of closure, despite the profound trauma she endured in County Monaghan.