Victims of a Co Cork school principal, who systematically sexually abused girls in his primary school 30 years ago, have described how they were robbed of their innocence and the trauma they had suffered.
The 58-year-old teacher was sentenced to three years in prison having pleaded guilty to 21 sample charges out of the 386 before Cork Circuit Criminal Court of indecently assaulting the girls, aged eight to 12 years, over a period from 1964 to 1973.
The school master resigned from his position in the Co Cork two-teacher school after being called to a meeting with the local priest, who was school manager, after complaints were received from parents about his conduct.
He was told to take sick leave and get medical help. Following his resignation from the school, that same priest recommended him for another teaching position in a boys national school the following year.
The teacher was also involved in teaching ceili and Irish music in an Irish summer college from 1989 to 1996 which was attended by boys and girls and at one time he was in charge of a house in which 30 girls lodged.
He has not re-offended since getting treatment for his paedophilia in Belfast in 1973.
A garda told the court that the principal subjected the girls to a reign of terror.
He would abuse one or a number of girls at the same time, sitting at the masters desk or on their desks with a girl positioned between his legs.
He would abuse them and at times as he stood saying the prayers he would smell his hands after abusing the girls.
The pupils knew what was going on but they never spoke to each other about it and no girl escaped his attentions.
They would try to sit on inside seats in an effort to escape from him and they spoke of their relief when he choose someone else. Those who avoided him were punished and while reading were told not to lift their heads.
The girls accepted what was happening as part of their normal school routine and blamed themselves for what occurred.
Some parents held meetings on hearing rumours about what was happening in the school. They approached the local priest who called the teacher to his home one morning and told him he was not to go back to the classroom.
The father of three sons returned to teaching in 1974, after being highly recommended for the teaching position in a boys national school in another area by the priest.
The abuse came to light when a past pupil made a complaint to gardai and 21 of the teacher's victims came forward with their stories.
Eight of the victims chose to tell the court of the trauma and the distress the abuse had caused in their lives.
Many who are now parents told of their fears for their own young children and their response to their husbands showing their love for the youngsters.
One woman said her experience of school was like the Jews' situation in the concentration camps.
"He did not just hurt all the girls he abused, he hurt our parents who felt guilty because they did not realise what was going on and my father took that guilt to the grave with him," she said.
Some of the victims spoke of how the teacher hit the boys in the class and walloped them for very little reason.
"He did not slap the girls but he tortured us in his own way. I had nightmares night after night of a big sweaty hairy hand reaching out for me and I could not escape. My father tried to comfort me and advised me to get a good night's rest so that I would be fresh for school in the morning. He told me school days were the best days of my life. If I could only have told him," she said.
Many victims said the Brendan Smyth case brought back memories of their own period of abuse and they realised the teacher's abuse would also come to light.
Judge Murphy sentenced the teacher to three years in prison. He said the victims had displayed high emotion and considerable bravery and he understood their need for revenge.
The offences had occurred in a time when people tended to ignore these things.
He said it was almost incredible to believe a priest would give a recommendation for another teaching position without apprising the school principal of the applicant's history.