A former GAA club treasurer has been jailed for 16 years after pleading guilty to a campaign of sex abuse that spanned three decades.
Thomas McKenna admitted to 162 offences against 23 male victims, aged between 12 and 26.
The abuse took place at various locations in Crossmaglen, County Armagh, including at the local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club.
He will serve a further seven years on licence after his release.
The judge said McKenna targeted boys and young men, grooming and manipulating them to the point where they felt “totally powerless”.
She said the psychological damage inflicted on the victims had been “immeasurable” and she acknowledged that no sentence the court could impose would repair that damage.
“The sheer scale and duration elevates this case to an unprecedented level,” the judge told McKenna.
She referenced the fact that Crossmaglen was a small community and Crossmaglen Rangers GAA Club was the “bedrock” of the village.
McKenna was a trusted member of that community – he was the local postman, he worked in Crossmaglen Credit Union and volunteered with the GAA club for decades, she said.
The judge added he used his positions of trust to find “opportunities for abuse”, grooming young players and befriending parents in order to gain access to their children.
