The trial of a Co. Cavan taxi driver accused of raping a woman as he dropped her home from the pub has collapsed and the jury has been discharged.

The taxi driver (61) will now go forward for a re-trial at the Central Criminal Court. He had pleaded not guilty to raping the woman (39) in a secluded rural laneway on July 10th in 2011.

Mr. Justice Barry White explained that as certain witnesses had retracted their original statements, it would be only fair to discharge the jury and direct a re-trial.

He thanked the six men and six women jurors for their service over the five-day trial and discharged them from further jury duty for life.

Earlier in the five-day trial, the woman told Paul O'Higgins SC, prosecuting, that she was "frozen with shock" when she alleges the taxi driver raped her in a mini-van at around midnight.

She agreed with Paul Greene SC, defending, that she had about 12 drinks on the night.

The owner of a local pub where the woman had been drinking said he had thrown her out of the bar that night because she was drunk and a bit aggressive.

The taxi driver eventually admitted to gardaí that he had had sexual relations with the woman, but he denied taking advantage of her and said she never told him to stop.

The case will come before court again to fix new trial dates on June 23rd.