Retired Leitrim judge’s son charged over child sexual abuse images and videos
Caoimhín MacGiollarain (36) appeared before Sligo District Court charged with three counts relating to the alleged possession of 1,600 images and 84 videos on three electronic devices.
A retired judge’s son has appeared in court charged with possession of over 1,600 images and videos of child sexual abuse.
Caoimhín MacGiollarain (36) appeared before Judge Éiteáin Cunningham at Sligo District Court on Thursday, September 17, charged with three counts of possessing child porn at an address in Sligo in May 2025.
His father is retired District Court judge and Leitrim native Kevin Kilrane. He was appointed to the judiciary in 2008 and presided over the district courts in Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal until his retirement in 2021.
Sergeant Noel O’Donnell gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution of MacGiollarain at Sligo Garda Station at 9.13am on Thursday, September 17. He was formally charged at 9.34am and made no reply to each charge.
MacGiollarain is charged with having 272 images and 12 videos of child porn on a Dell laptop, with having four images on a different Dell laptop and with having 1,324 images and 72 videos on a Galaxy Tablet A7 at the same location in Sligo on 12 May 2025.
Sergeant Derek Butler told the court the DPP had directed prosecution on indictment and also consented to the accused being sent forward on a signed plea to the Circuit Criminal Court. He also said the State had no objection to bail with conditions, including the surrendering of the accused’s passport.
Mr Keith O’Grady BL, instructed by solicitor Mr Fergal Kelly for MacGiollarain, raised “very serious concerns” about his client’s address being published given the nature of the charges and asked Judge Cunningham to direct that his address not be published.
Judge Cunningham said the nature of the charges did not allow the court to impose a reporting restriction however she said it was not “unreasonable” to allow for his address to be withheld “on a temporary basis.” She directed a temporary restriction on his address only and ordered disclosure to Mr Kelly.
It was then raised that MacGiollarain had a “previously arranged holiday” booked for 9-19 October. The judge ordered that his passport be returned by Gardaí to the accused on October 8 and handed back into Sligo Garda Station on Tuesday, October 20.
MacGiollarain was then remanded on bail to Sligo District Court on Thursday, November 26.