Former Clare Minor GAA Captain Sentenced to Over Two Years for Sexual Assault

 Ennis, Ireland – A former Clare minor Gaelic football captain has been sentenced to two years and four months in prison for the sexual assault of a woman at a private residence in County Clare on July 18, 2021.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford imposed the 28-month custodial sentence on Conor Gavin (32), of Paradise, Ballynacally, Co Clare. Gavin, who led the Clare minor team in 2011 and has since worked as a coach, was convicted by a jury in February. He had denied the charge.

The court heard that Gavin, a first-time offender, returned to a house with friends following a night out. Judge Comerford described Gavin’s actions as “very bizarre,” “inappropriate,” and “not rational,” referring to his uninvited decision to strip to his shorts and enter a bed occupied by two women. He noted the gravity of the offence, which involved digital penetration, stating it was “high on the scale of intensity.”

“There isn’t much scope for rehabilitation when one doesn’t accept that there is an offence,” Judge Comerford remarked.

In a powerful victim impact statement, the complainant told the court:

“I am hopeful that after today I will be able to move on with my life and close this chapter of what I can only describe as a horror story I never asked to be part of.”

The woman said she had long hoped for an apology from Gavin.

“All I ever wanted was an apology and for Conor Gavin to admit what he had done to me and say sorry. I never got that and that is really hard. Conor Gavin had the audacity to take the stand during the trial and deny what was done to me. That to me is unacceptable and leaves a detrimental impact on my mental health.”

Reflecting on the long-lasting trauma, she stated:

“The past four years have been extremely exhausting. I have felt the greatest deal of shame one could possibly imagine and although I know what happened to me was not my fault, it is still a feeling that I cannot shake.”

“I have a tremendous amount of anger which I’m unsure if I will ever fully be able to let go of… It is an extremely bitter pill to swallow having to accept that this is something I will never be able to erase from my memory and something that I will carry with me forever. I lost a part of myself that night which I don’t believe that I will ever get back.”

Describing the attack as “an unprovoked assault which should never have happened,” the woman said that reliving the experience to write her victim statement was a necessary step:

“I am however going to take this opportunity to have my voice heard.”

Following the assault, she recalled being in “a complete state of shock and disbelief.”

“I could not and did not want to believe that something like this had happened to me.”

She spoke of the psychological aftermath:

“My self-esteem shattered into a million pieces, and my self-confidence was non-existent… I was a complete shell of myself.” She also described suffering from panic attacks and expressed gratitude to her boyfriend for his support throughout her ordeal.

Counsel for the Defence, Patrick Whyms BL, told the court that Gavin accepts the jury’s verdict and will not appeal the conviction. He said Gavin had consumed “six pints in the pub” and brought Bulmers cider to the house, adding that alcohol “must have been a factor in the poor decision-making to go into the bedroom, take off most of his clothing and get into the bed with two female persons.”

Mr Whyms noted that the Director of Public Prosecutions had previously indicated the case could be handled at district court level on a guilty plea. He also said that Gavin had no prior convictions, maintained steady employment at a manufacturing facility in Shannon, and had a positive standing in the local community due to his sporting background.

The case has drawn significant attention due to Gavin’s profile as a former GAA captain. The sentencing closes a painful chapter for the victim, who continues to cope with the profound emotional impact of the crime.