The father of a woman who claims she was raped by her sports coach has told a jury that the accused tried to convince his daughter to return to her sport.

The man, who can't be identified due to the nature of the charge, is facing one rape charge and 15 charges of indecent assault as far back as October 1989.

The complainant, who’s now in her 30s, claims the man abused her through his role as her sports coach in secondary school between October 1989 and October 1990.

In her evidence, she said it began while he was carrying out so-called “muscle checks” to help her improve in the sport he coached.

Today, her father gave evidence of his daughter just quitting the sport one day “suddenly and without warning.”

He said he didn’t know what had happened.

Request to return

He said her coach, the accused man, rang him one month later to ask him if he would try and encourage her to return to the sport, which he did.

The man denies making that call.

He also denied regularly walking through the girls’ changing room while they showered and got changed, insisting he always knocked on the door before entering.

The trial continues on Tuesday.

Main image: The Criminal Courts of Justice, building in Parkgate Street, Dublin. Image: noel bennett / Alamy Stock Photo