Patrick Honan loses appeal against rape and indecent assault convictions

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The Court of Appeal has rejected Patrick Honan’s challenge to his convictions for rape and indecent assault, leaving his 19-year prison sentence in place.

Honan, 70, was convicted at the Central Criminal Court in February 2024. The jury found him guilty on 48 sample counts: 25 of rape and 23 of indecent assault.

His daughter was abused at the family home in Co Clare between 1977 and 1989, from the age of three and a half until she was 16.

The Court of Appeal increased his sentence in March 2025 after the Director of Public Prosecutions challenged its leniency. It replaced a 13-year term, of which the final 18 months had been suspended, with 19 years in prison.

At his original sentencing, the court was told that Honan maintained his innocence and rejected the jury’s verdicts. His age, health difficulties and employment history were among the mitigating factors considered by the sentencing judge.