Former priest sentenced to 8 years for raping sisters

A former priest, Richard Brennan, aged 64, originally from Rathfarnham but working in the United States, has been jailed for eight years for raping and sexually assaulting his sisters. He pleaded guilty to the charges during his trial. Brennan admitted to raping and indecently assaulting his sister Paula Fay when she was between 15 and 17 years old. He also admitted to similar offenses against Catherine Wrightstone when she was between nine and 13 years old, and he indecently assaulted another sister, Yvonne Crist, when she was 20 and he was 18.

After the sisters testified in court, Brennan changed his plea to guilty. The sisters waived their anonymity to reveal Brennan's actions. Another brother, Bernard Brennan, was previously jailed for sexual abuse of two of the sisters.

The court noted that Brennan abused his sisters when they were young and vulnerable, creating fear and confusion in their family home. The judge emphasized the psychological damage inflicted on the sisters and the breach of trust by Brennan, who was a seminarian at the time of the offenses.

Brennan's sentence of nine years was reduced to eight with one year suspended. The sisters expressed disappointment with the sentence, feeling it did not adequately reflect the severity of Brennan's crimes.

According to the source: RTE.ie.