A Co Offaly man accused of raping his teenage daughter, told the Central Criminal Court yesterday she was a liar.
The 41 year old widower agreed with prosecution counsel, Mr Joseph Mathews SC, that if her allegations were "complete and utter fiction" as he suggested then someone was lying. His daughter was the liar.
The man denied he had raped his daughter (now 18) or had ever touched her in a sexual way.
Earlier the accused man, a father of five, told his counsel, Mr Seamus Sorahan SC (with Ms Jeri Ward), that his family had split up because of the allegations, and everyone in his local town knew about the case.
A schoolfriend of the alleged victim said the girl first said she had been abused by her ether in 1988-1989.
A Garda sergeant said the girl complained in December 1993 that she was raped in 1991 and 1993. During an interview, the accused man denied the allegations and said he did not know why his daughter had made the claims.
The accused man has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, having unlawful carnal knowledge and sexual assault of his daughter in or about March 1991 and again in July 1993. He has also denies sexually assaulting her on a date between April 1991 and May 1993.
The trial before Mr Justice Morris and the jury continues.