A Carlow man has been jailed for seven years for repeatedly raping his niece and grandniece when they were children.

Michael Moran of Oldtown in Nurney admitted having sex with them, but claimed they instigated it.

Neither of Michael MoranÂ’s victims wanted to be named, but they did want him to be identified for what he did to them.

His niece, whoÂ’s now 41, told Gardai the abuse began when she was just 8 and continued on a regular basis over the next six years.

She said he threatened “to do the same” to her intellectually disabled sister if she refused to have sex with him.

His younger victim was just 11 when he started abusing her. She described how he used to beat her and give her money after raping her.

The 78-year-old was sentenced to ten years today with the final three suspended.

Our Courts Correspondent Frank Greaney reports;