HARRY DALY, FORMER LIMERICK PRISON OFFICER, SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS FOR LONG-TERM ABUSE IN COUNTY CLARE

In July 2011, Harry Daly, a retired prison officer from Limerick, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the systematic abuse and rape of his daughter over a span of ten years, a period she described as their “house of doom.” Daly, aged 57 and formerly residing in Lanna, Lisseycasey, County Clare, appeared before the Central Criminal Court following a guilty plea on charges originating from pleas signed in the District Court.

Daly admitted to 227 charges, which included 103 counts of indecent assault, 24 counts of sexual assault, and various counts of rape, including oral rape. He pleaded guilty to sample charges of rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault involving his daughter, with the offences occurring between February 1, 1982, and November 30, 1992. His daughter was between six and 17 years old during the abuse.

The victim, who chose to waive her right to anonymity so her father’s name could be publicly disclosed, provided poignant testimony. She recounted the trauma of the abuse, revealing that from her first day of abuse, her father warned her “not to tell anyone because he would go to prison.” Despite her disclosures, her mother remained with Daly after the girl’s revelation.

Judge Mr Justice Paul Carney acknowledged the horrific nature of the crimes, stating he understood from the evidence that there was a five-year stretch during which “one day did not go by without the victim being sexually abused.” He emphasized the breach of trust and the severity of the offences, including their extent and the grooming involved, which justified a 15-year sentence. However, he suspended the last five years considering Daly’s guilty plea, absence of prior convictions, remorse, and employment history.

The judge mandated that Daly register as a sex offender, keep away from his daughter unless she wishes to see him, and undergo seven years of post-release supervision. The court also ordered Daly to remain away from his daughter unless she chooses otherwise.

Daly’s professional background includes 26 years as a prison officer at Limerick Prison, where he specialized in catering services. He also served in both the Royal Navy and the Irish Army before retiring in 2008.

The abuse ceased in 1992 when the daughter moved out of the family home in Clare. She detailed that her father would often demand she remove his shoes and socks when he came home from work and that, at just 15, her newly born sister was moved into her room. She described her experiences as “sexually, emotionally and physically abused,” recalling her father’s sick games and her treatment as a housekeeper from a young age.

In her victim impact statement, she shared that her family celebrated last Christmas together, but she did not join them, stating, “I did not celebrate Christmas with my family last year. My father was welcome instead.” She expressed feelings of ugliness, internal struggle, and fear of emotional breakdowns, adding, “I am afraid if I start to cry I will never stop.”

She explained that she avoids sex but recognizes its importance in relationships, stating, “People think I am a survivor and brave but the truth is I have to be brave every day to survive.”

The initial abuse began when she was six years old at their first home in Ballymun, Dublin, and continued across several residences in Naas, Clare, and Limerick. Detective Sergeant Kevin O’Hagan told prosecutors that Daly’s abuse escalated over the years, culminating in a rape when she was 12. He described incidents such as Daly trying to have sex with her in various locations including a car behind Shannon Airport, a wooded area, and even while she was talking to her friends at a window.

Daly forcibly opened the bathroom door to sexually assault her while she bathed, molested her under a duvet in the sitting room with her younger siblings watching television, and later performed oral sex on her after making her watch a pornographic movie with him. He also forced her to perform oral sex on him, all of which the victim described as violent and controlling. She recounted that her father was physically violent, often beating her and her brother, depriving them of food, and maintaining strict control over their schedules.

The woman, now a mother of children herself, has not spoken to her father since the 2001 incident. She reported the abuse to gardaí in 2010 and received full admissions from Daly during a subsequent interview. Her statement depicted the family home as a “house of doom,” and she shared in her victim impact report how she was treated as a housekeeper from a young age, with her father’s sick games replacing childhood innocence.

Her narrative is marked by profound emotional pain, as she expressed feelings of internal decay and her struggle to endure everyday. Despite her resilience, she explained, “I have to be brave every day to survive.”