Inishowen man jailed for abuse of girl 25 years ago

An Inishowen father of five children has been given a three year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a girl when she was aged between 11 and 13.
At Letterkenny Circuit Court, 59 year old Daniel McConalogue, a builder from Carrowmore, Gleneely in Inishowen admitted 14 charges of sexually assaulting the girl who lived nearby, on dates between July 1, 1985 and August 1, 1988.
His victim, who was a neighbour, gave up her right to anonymity in order to have her abuser publicly named. She is now 34.
The court heard that the victim’s first memory of the abuse was in his home and in a shed beside the national school which was close to both their houses. She believed she was aged around 11 at the time.
When she was 13 she got the courage to stand up to him and the abuse ended.
The court heard that she moved to New York in 2003 and at some point wrote to McConalogue asking him to take responsibility for his actions. She did get a reply saying he was sorry.
In 2008 she went to the gardai and they interviewed McConalogue who said “he could not deny it”. However, he told gardai he was of the opinion that he never forced her.
The court heard that he has since undergone therapy with COSC and has come to “a very clear understanding of the complete wrong and hurt he has caused”.
Judge John O’Hagan told McConalogue there is nothing more horrific for society than to think that a married person should breach the trust of a little child.
He sentenced McConalogue to three years on each count and ordered that he be placed on the sex offenders register.