So-called 'singing priest' Tony Walsh has lost an appeal against sentences imposed on him for the buggery and sexual abuse of young boys in the 1970s and 1980s.

In its ruling the Court of Criminal Appeal branded his conduct in serially abusing young boys as 'nothing less than depraved'.

Walsh was an Elvis impersonator in the well known 'All Priests Show' that used to travel around Ireland. He was defrocked in the 1990s.

In 2010, he was handed down a 16 year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the 'appalling' rape and indecent assault of young boys in Dublin in the 1970s and 1980s.

He was later given a further 15 months custodial sentence for abusing two other boys.

On appeal his lawyers argued the sentences were excessive and failed to take into consideration that Walsh had already served a six year sentence for similar offences committed during the same period.

However the Court of Criminal Appeal has found no error of principal in the terms imposed.

The three judges observe in their judgment that his crimes ''were of the utmost gravity and even that description does not seem to do justice to the appalling nature of the offences committed against young boys'' that left his victims ''severely and permanently'' damaged.

They conclude ''his conduct over a period of four years in serially abusing the boys concerned must be characterised as nothing less than depraved''.

The former priest was in court for this morning's ruling.

Originally posted 10:40