An alleged sex abuser at a prestigious Catholic grammar school taught his pupils a Nazi marching anthem, the author of which later joined the party, a former pupil has said.
Academic Dr Deaglán Ó Donghaile last night branded Raymond Gallagher “sadistic” and revealed how the German military tune was taught to them in Irish.
Gallagher, who died in 2007, was a music and Irish language teacher at St Columb’s College in Derry.
Claims about abuse allegedly inflicted on some of his pupils emerged this week when Terry Doran waived his anonymity to reveal details of the abuse he says he suffered at the hands of Gallagher.
The 59-year-old was paid £50,0000 in a 2015 settlement after taking a case against the college and Gallagher – a former vice-principal at the school.
Dr Ó Donghaile, who is a reader in English literature at John Moore’s University in Liverpool, last night said that Gallagher taught pupils the Irish language version of the Nazi anthem Erika.
Written around 1930 by composer Herms Niel, the tune was later adopted by the Wehrmacht – the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.
Niel himself joined the Nazi Party in 1933 and later conducted bands at several Nuremberg rallies in the 1930s.
Dr Ó Donghaile said that Mr Gallagher made his pupils sing the song at an Irish language after-school club telling them it was a “German Paratrooper anthem from World War Two”.
“It’s shameful,” he said.
“When you think of the far right at that time and what they are doing now, totally shameful, and it shows where he was coming from.
“It says much about his politics but his psychology as well, and it explains the sadistic streak very clearly.
“Looking back as an adult, I would be horrified if somebody tried to get my children to sing a Nazi anthem, and that was done in the school, and that was taught in the school.”
Dr Ó Donghaile said that while Gallagher “never laid hands” on him “he really inflicted a lot of psychological violence on the children”.
“I started in 1987 and the man had a real aversion I think too, to teaching. He was really impatient.
“What happened then was you tripped yourself up, you got nervous. He refused to tolerate any mistakes.”
Dr Ó Donghaile said that he also remembered Gallagher attending the school shower block.
“He would come in and he would stand smoking cigarettes watching all the boys get a shower.”
