Former Christian Brother who sexually abused children in Kilkenny dies in prison

Former Christian Brother Liam Coughlan (90), who sexually abused multiple primary school children in Kilkenny during the 1970s, recently died in prison while receiving palliative care.

Coughlan, who left the Christian Brothers in the 1990s, was jailed in 2023 following two separate legal proceedings at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court concerning the CBS primary school on Stephen Street in Kilkenny.

In May 2023, he was convicted by a jury on 30 counts of indecent assault involving five boys and sentenced to three years and two months in prison.

In October of the same year, he received an additional four-and-a-half-year sentence after pleading guilty to 19 sample counts of indecent assault against 19 schoolboys between 1974 and 1978.

Sentencing Coughlan at the time, Judge Elma Sheahan said the abuse perpetrated by him not only “instilled fear and embarrassment in the lives and minds of young boys attending school, but has served to torment the men these young boys have become”.

Judge Sheahan said she wished to acknowledge the time it has taken for the abuse to come to light and she paid tribute to the “determination” of the complainants. The court heard three of the complainants came forward in 1998, but their allegations did not result in a prosecution.

He was further convicted earlier this year for the sexual abuse of former students at the CBS primary school on Patrick Street in Portarlington during the 1980s.

Sentencing Coughlan to five years in prison for the Portarlington offences was Judge Keenan Johnson, president of the Circuit Court.

He noted that it was likely that Coughlan would die in prison. Coughlan had observed that trial via video-link from Mountjoy Prison.

The jury (who were not told about his previous Kilkenny convictions) was informed at the time that he was unable to attend court in-person due to oustanding medical reasons.

Throughout his career, Coughlan also taught in counties including Laois, Carlow, and Cork. He left the order in the 1990s, married and moved to Tramore, County Waterford.

A number of his victims are currently suing the Christian Brothers for damages.