A teacher accused of indecently assaulting 10 boys at a Sligo primary school has complimented a complainant, whom he considered to be a remedial pupil, for speaking so well in court.
Patrick Curran (59), a teacher at St John's National School, Temple Street, Sligo, since July 1966, was giving evidence in his own defence on day seven of his trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
He said he was a "gay person" with a sexual preference for old people aged over 65. He would not be interested in anyone younger and said "the sexuality of children means nothing to me".
He said revealing his sexuality to the people of Ireland was something he had not wanted to do and told Eanna Mulloy SC (with Fergal Foley), prosecuting, that he was trying to convey his lack of interest in children or young people.
He denies 237 counts of the indecent assault of 10 boys between September 1966 and June 1984.
Judge Michael White told the jury he would direct them to find the accused not guilty of 37 of the charges as the complainant in respect of those counts did not give evidence.
A direction of not guilty will also be given as a result of submissions in respect of a further seven counts on the indictment.
The jury earlier heard from nine men who claimed they were indecently assaulted by Mr Curran.
The accused told his counsel Grainne McMorrow SC (with Colm O'Briain BL), that he categorically denied the allegations against him and called them preposterous and ridiculous.
"I have denied these allegations from day one and I am still denying them today."
Mr Curran said if he sat beside a pupil he would squeeze their knee or put a hand on their shoulder as he was leaving them as a gesture of comfort. He said he saw nothing wrong or sexual in this behaviour.
He said he was annoyed with an allegation that he brought one boy up to his desk to molest him two or three times a day as someone "would have been bound to have seen something" and no one came forward to make such a statement.
He told Ms McMorrow he believed the complainants probably had their own reasons for making the allegations, because of collusion, money or personal problems.
In relation to a complainant who had been in the remedial section of his class he told Ms McMorrow he "must compliment him for doing so well, he spoke very well here".
Mr Curran said he was also suspicious of the sophisticated language used by another former pupil in a statement to gardaí as the boy had "been a slow learner and gone to technical school".
He denied suggestions by Mr Mulloy that he systematically targeted vulnerable boys who were least able to offer resistance and did not believe that a remedial pupil would ever have the courage or gumption to come forward.
The trial continues in closing speeches before Judge White and a jury of 10 men and two women.