A Circuit Court judge yesterday sentenced a former Marist brother to two years in prison for his "quite obscene" abuse of a Sligo schoolboy 35 years ago.
Judge Anthony Kennedy referred to the fact that five former teachers, three of them former Marist brothers, from St John's National School, Sligo, have faced abuse charges.
He said that while it would be shocking if there was "a ring" in operation in the school, it would be "every bit as bizarre" if five teachers acting independently and unaware of each other's activities had been abusing the same children at the school.
Judge Kennedy sentenced Martin Meaney (65), formerly known as Brother Gregory, to concurrent sentences of two years on each of five sample charges of indecently assaulting Paul Gordon, now 43, over a four-month period in 1972.
Sligo Circuit Court heard that Mr Gordon was jailed for eight years in 1983 for the manslaughter of his father, who he said had received payments from a different brother at the school in return for turning a blind eye to abuse.
After yesterday's hearing Mr Gordon said that while he would now be able get on with his life, he believed the sentence was too short.
"It should have been life. At least he will be stuck in one of the cells I was in. Maybe he can look at my name on the wall."
During an earlier hearing Det Sgt Dermot Flannery praised Mr Gordon for his tenacity in helping to expose a "dark chapter" in the history of the school.
He pointed out that Mr Gordon was now getting on with his life, having survived alcohol and drug problems.
Judge Kennedy yesterday praised Det Sgt Flannery and retired Det Garda Andy Brennan who, he said, had devoted "huge chunks of their lives" to the overlapping investigations into the activities of different teachers at St John's.
The investigation involved hundreds of past pupils being interviewed and 1,000 charges being brought.
The judge told the accused that he had shown no compassion or any normal human sympathy for his victim.
He had been secretive, sly and cunning and had chosen and groomed a child because he was poor, hungry, neglected, deprived and came from deplorable home circumstances.
He knew his victim could not report him and even if he had, he would not have been believed.
Judge Kennedy said there was no need to describe what the accused had done to Mr Gordon, but it was quite obscene and it had dreadful implications for his physical, psychological and social development.