41 year old John Paul Hegarty of Castleview, Little Island appeared before a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork this morning.
Today's sentencing hearing heard that Nora Hegarty cannot remember a time in her childhood when she wasn't being abused.
In a victim impact statement the 35 year old- who waived her right to anonymity- said the abuse she suffered between the ages of 9 and 12 had destroyed her life.
She said she knew no other reality at the time and still sleeps with the light on. She also developed emphysema and has suffered severe depression and anxiety.
Justice Deirdre Murphy said that John Paul Hegarty had not taken responsibility for his actions and had put Nora through the difficulty of a trial by pleading not guilty.
The court also heard that Nora had told her family about the abuse when she was 18 but that nothing had been done at the time, leading her to step away from her family.
She also said she had been a bridesmaid at John Paul's wedding, a move she now says was designed to make sure his "dirty little secret" did not get out again .
The court also heard that Nora's former partner had blackmailed John Paul Hegarty for €15,000 and that Nora had not found out about it for two years.
Sentencing the defendant, Justice Deirdre Murphy said he alone bore sole responsibility for his actions and handed him an 8 year sentence with the final year suspended.
