A 70-year-old member of the Christian Brothers order of the Roman Catholic church was today accused of 137 sex abuse cases against 25 boys dating back 43 years.
Mr Morris Tobin faced the charges at Clifden District Court, Co Galway.
All but one of the counts against him related to a 14-year period when he worked as a teacher at Letterfrack, Co Galway; the other involved an address in Limerick.
Mr Tobin was arrested in Clifden today, when he made no comment in response to the charges.
Mr Donagh Molloy, Mr Tobin's solicitor, applied to District Judge John Garvin for media restrictions to be imposed on naming his client.
But the judge refused the application, saying he had taken the same course in two other cases that came before him.
Mr Tobin was remanded on €3,000 bail and will be back in court at Clifden on May 23rd.
PA