Ger Doyle

Doyle managed New Ross swimming pool for 26 years, taking over the role when he was aged 19 in 1980.[2][3] He became Leinster's swimming coach in 1984 and national swimming coach in 1992 where he remained until 2005.[3] He coached at least one Olympic swimmer.[4] His swimmers broke more than one hundred national records at junior and senior level.[4] He was coach of the Irish Olympic team at the 2000 and 2004 games,[2] though was not well enough to travel to the former.[3] He was Wexford Person of the Year 2004.[2]

In 2005 reports of misconduct began to emerge.[3]

Doyle's trial lasted for six days.[4]

In 2010, Doyle was convicted of 35 counts of indecent and sexual assault on five children aged between ten and fifteen over a period of twelve years between 1981 and 1993.[2][4] He received a 6+1⁄2-year prison sentence.[2][4] The judge described "a complete absence of insight or remorse".[4] There was applause in court as Doyle was led away and survivors of other swimming abuses welcomed the sentence.[5]

One incident described Doyle as having removed a boy's trousers to smack his bottom and touch him.[4] Another child suffered from bouts of anger and another had regular panic attacks.[4] The abuse took place in his office in New Ross.[3] Only one of the five was in court for Doyle's sentencing.[5] Doyle maintained his innocence.[3]

He was the second Olympic swimming coach convicted of such crimes in Ireland, following Derry O'Rourke. George Gibney was charged but not convicted. [3] The Irish Times criticised the sport as a whole for inadequately protecting children, noting that Doyle was allowed to share a hotel room with an 18-year-old male swimmer in 2002 during the British Youth Championships in Sheffield, even though the rules did not permit Michelle Smith to share a room with her fiancé and future husband Erik de Bruin.[6] Doyle attended a child welfare course operated by the Irish Sports Council in 2004, at which time no criticisms were raised.[6]

Both Doyle's parents are dead.[4] He resided with his sister in Wexford prior to being convicted of sexual assault.[3][4] He did not have a criminal record prior to this.[4]