Dylan Gallagher has said he is now “in a good place” several weeks after his cousin was jailed for raping him as a child. 

Earlier this month, Noel Gallagher from Dadreen, Louisburgh, County Mayo was sentenced to four years for raping Dylan, who was only nine-years-old at the time. 

In his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice David Keane praised the 27-year-old for the courage and dignity he has displayed since he came forward. 

On Lunchtime Live, Dylan recalled the day his cousin attacked him nearly two decades ago. 

“I went down to the farm sheds - which were just across the road from my uncle’s house,” he said. 

“I went into an open shed and my cousin, Noel, he mentioned the word ‘sex’ to me. 

“At the time, I was nine-years-old; he was 15.” 

At the time, Dylan did not know exactly what the word “sex” meant but he knew instinctively that it was a “bad word”, 

“The next thing, he mentioned it again that we’d have sex and I just laughed,” Dylan said. 

“I didn’t know what he was on about. 

“The next thing I knew, he had my trousers pulled down; he anally raped me. 

“He did that for a couple of seconds and he tried to get me to do it to him but, obviously, it wouldn’t work. Then, he did it to me again.” 

Dylan said the attack lasted “between 10 and 15 seconds” but that it is a “memory that I’ll always have in the back of my head”. 

Justice

For 13-years, he told no one what had happened to him and it was only when he turned 16 that he began to fully understand the enormity of what happened to him. 

“I was kind of using football to block it all out when I was young at the time,” he said. 

“Then, when I got old - 17, 18, 19 - I started drinking a lot and the football just went. 

“I suppose I was just keeping to myself and bottling it all up.”

Sensitive content: This video contains descriptions of abuse and rape of a minor.

'You don't really hear about male victims coming forward ... I'm doing this to help other people'

Dylan Gallagher speaks for the first time since his cousin - Noel - was sentenced to four years in… pic.twitter.com/sD48RpBzes

— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) November 22, 2024

In the end, Dylan decided to tell his parents but was unsure about approaching Gardaí. 

He started counselling and in November 2020 had a meeting with the Gardaí which got “the ball rolling”.

While it took four-years between reporting what happened to him and his cousin’s sentencing, Dylan described the process as something that was “definitely worth it in the end.” 

“He was 15 at the time, so I did know [the sentence] wasn’t going to be a big one,” Dylan said. 

“I was expecting it to be around that. 

“So, when he got four I was happy… but at the end of the day, so long as I got my justice, it wouldn’t have mattered.” 

Life after the trial

Despite his conviction, Noel Gallagher has never apologised to Dylan and continues to maintain his innocence. 

“He can keep lying to himself if he wants,” Dylan said. 

“I told the truth and the truth is the truth.” 

With justice now served, Dylan said he is “just relieved that it’s all finally done.” 

“The feedback I’ve got from all the messages and everything, it’s really helped me,” he said. 

“It’s really helped the healing - I’m in a good place now.”

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If you have been impacted by rape or sexual assault you can contact the Rape Crisis Centre 24-Hour National Helpline on 1800 77 8888.

Main image shows Dylan Gallagher. Image: Supplied.