Search
20 Jan 2026
Search
20 Jan 2026
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
A Circuit Court judge convicted of a series of sexual assaults has resigned from his position.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said Gerard O’Brien had conveyed his resignation on Saturday, effective from the preceding day.
Last month, O’Brien, 59, from Thurles in Co Tipperary, was found guilty of six counts of sexual assault on young males in the 1990s – a period when he was a secondary school teacher in Co Dublin.
Ms McEntee had been facing calls to remove the judge from post.
In the wake of the conviction, she had said she would consult with the attorney general on the matter.
A statement on Saturday from the Department of Justice said: “The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has confirmed that Circuit Court Judge Gerard O’Brien conveyed his resignation today, effective from January 5.
“The resignation has been conveyed to the president in accordance with the requirements of section 6 (2) of the Courts (Establishment and Constitution) Act 1961.
“The minister will be making no further comment on this matter prior to the court finalising the case by sentencing, which is adjourned to March 4.”
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
