Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin
Encyclopedia
The sexual abuse scandal in Dublin archdiocese is a major chapter in the series of sexual abuse cases
in Ireland. The Irish government
commissioned a statutory enquiry in 2006 that published the Murphy Report
in November 2009.
Ruler of Catholic Ireland, John Cooney relates a number of stories which suggest that the Archbishop had an unhealthy interest in children. The main allegation — that the Archbishop had attempted to sexually assault a boy in a Dublin pub — is based on an unpublished essay by Noel Browne. No reputable historian or journalist supports these claims. Even reviewers who praised the book, including Dermot Keogh, Professor of History, and John A. Murphy, Emeritus Professor of History at University College Cork, have stated that the author should not have included the allegations.
There is a satirical account of the controversy by then Irish Times journalist Kevin Myers
in his Irishman's Diary on 10 November 1999. There is also an interesting account by Colum Kenny, Associate Professor of Communications at Dublin City University
of a meeting he had with the Archbishop as a teenager in the 1960s. Although his attitude to Dr. McQuaid is hostile, he regards Cooney's allegations as absurd.
On 20 June 2009, it was revealed that in 1961 Archbishop McQuaid had established a hostel in Dublin for boys who had been in industrial schools — mainly Artane — and assigned priests to see to their spiritual welfare and to help them integrate into society. In the mid 1960s, one of these priests was the young Diarmuid Martin
who went on to become Archbishop of Dublin in 2004 and to take a strong line against alleged clerical abusers.
had sought legal advice as to the Church's liability arising from such abuse. As as result of the advice, McNamara insured
the archdiocese to protect it financially, while not revealing the degree of clerical sex abuse recorded in diocesian files to the Garda Síochána
as required in law. McNamara's role in these and other incidents were featured in an audit of child abuse cases associated with the Dublin archdiocese carried out at the request of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin
.
to adequately address the abuse scandals in Dublin led the Vatican to replace him with Archbishop Martin in the country's largest diocese. Connell's tenure as Primate was marked by recurring and unchecked episodes of child sex abuse by priests and other religious personnel in the Archdiocese of Dublin. His oversight of this was examined by the Commission of Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese, set up by the Irish Government. Connell gave evidence to the Commission in late 2006.
Cardinal Connell had also provided Ivan Payne with a loan of £30,000 in 1993 to satisfy an out-of-court settlement with an abused victim
warned that the depth of the abuse would "shock us all". He later said that there was a growing rift between the Church and younger generations, and that the blame does not lie principally with young people.
has found refuge in Tallaght. He is a Dominican and former headmaster of Newbridge College Co Kildare. He was convicted in 2003 and 2005 for sexually assaulting 13 boys. The Dominican Order
was aware of abuse allegations against Mercer when these came to light in 1995 and sheltered him until his 2003 jail sentence.
, a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin pleaded guilty to two charges of sexually assaulting two girls at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin when he was chaplain there in 1960. He pleaded guilty in 1997 to two charges of assaulting a nine year old girl in County Wicklow between 1977 and 1979.
McGennis abused M Collins when as a 13-year-old she was in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in 1961. Collins was later told that McGennis had admitted abusing children. When Collins approached Desmond Cardinal Connell in 1995 about the abuse she endured in 1960, Connell told her in 1996 that the archdiocese would not cooperate with the Garda Siochána
in the investigation and he refused to confirm the priest's admission to the assaults - despite the Irish bishops' strict guidelines for reporting complaints of clerical child abuse to the civil authorities. McGennis was nevertheless convicted and imprisoned. Collins subsequently received an apology from Cardinal Connell for his refusal to cooperate in 1996.
, parish priest of Glendalough
, County Wicklow
and finally as chaplain at the National Rehabilitation Centre, Dun Laoghaire
, County Dublin
.
Cardinal Connell admitted he knew about the “inappropriate behaviour” of Reynolds two years before he reassigned him from a parish to a hospital chaplaincy, and three years before he finally removed him from duty. A colleague of Reynold's, Fr. Arthur O’Neill, revealed he had reported concerns about Fr. Reynolds while he was parish priest of Rathnew
, Co Wicklow, and Fr. Reynolds was parish priest in neighbouring Glendalough
, but Reynolds was allowed to continue his duties.
is a priest
of St Patrick's Missionary Order, Kiltegan
, County Wicklow
. He molested
many children in the various parishes he served. He was convicted of abusing an altar boy in Donnycarney and sentenced to three years in prison, reduced on appeal
to six months. He attended a treatment centre at Our Lady of Victory, Stroud, Gloucestershire
which offers 'therapy in a spiritual context' before his conviction
Brendan Smyth (1927–1997) was a notorious child molester who used his position as a Catholic priest to obtain access to his victims. During a period of over 40 years, Smyth raped hundreds of children in parishes in Belfast, Dublin and the United States.
(born August 1943) is a former Irish priest of the diocese of Dublin and a convicted child molester. Payne was convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on January 26, 1998 of 14 sample charges of sexually abusing 8 boys aged between 11 and 14 years old between 1968 and 1987. The abuse took place while the victims were patients in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin in 1991 while Payne was hospital chaplain. He also abused altar boys in Cabra
. He served 4½ years in jail and was released in October 2002. The Archdiocese provides Payne with accommodation and an income equivalent to that of a retired priest. He remains a priest but is not allowed to say Mass or administer sacraments.
On 15 October 2009 the High Court ruled that the Commission's report could be published, except for Chapter 19, which contained material relating to three upcoming criminal cases.
On 19 November 2009 the High Court authorised the release of an edited version of the report, with references to three people removed. The slimmed-down report was released online on 26 November. The report strongly criticises the "inappropriate" relationship between some senior Gardaí and priests and bishops and says senior members of the force regarded priests as being outside their investigative remit.
By the end of December 2009 four former or current auxiliary bishop
s of Dublin had offered to resign. Two of these offers were accepted; the other two were refused by Pope Benedict XVI
in August 2010.
(CICA) report was published in May 2009, and reported on the extent and effects of abuse on children in institutions from 1936 onwards. The Commission's report said testimony had demonstrated beyond a doubt that the entire system treated children more like prison inmates and slaves than people with legal rights and human potential, that church officials encouraged ritual beatings and consistently shielded their orders' paedophiles from arrest amid a "culture of self-serving secrecy", and that government inspectors failed to stop the chronic beatings, rapes and humiliation. Some of the schools were in the Dublin archdiocese, such as Artane Industrial school
. Though run by religious orders, and not by the archdiocese itself, it was found that the archdiocesan authorities including Archbishop McQuaid had commissioned private reports on some of the schools, and knew how they were being run.
Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland
The Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland is a major chapter in the worldwide Catholic sexual abuse scandal. Unlike the Catholic sexual abuse scandal in the United States, the scandal in Ireland included cases of high-profile Catholic clerics involved in illicit heterosexual relations as well as...
in Ireland. The Irish government
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
commissioned a statutory enquiry in 2006 that published the Murphy Report
Murphy Report
The Murphy Report is the brief name of the report of an investigation conducted by government of Ireland into the Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin...
in November 2009.
Allegations against Archbishop McQuaid
In his biography of the Archbishop, John Charles McQuaidJohn Charles McQuaid
John Charles McQuaid, C.S.Sp. was the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland between December 1940 and February 1972.- Early life 1895-1914:...
Ruler of Catholic Ireland, John Cooney relates a number of stories which suggest that the Archbishop had an unhealthy interest in children. The main allegation — that the Archbishop had attempted to sexually assault a boy in a Dublin pub — is based on an unpublished essay by Noel Browne. No reputable historian or journalist supports these claims. Even reviewers who praised the book, including Dermot Keogh, Professor of History, and John A. Murphy, Emeritus Professor of History at University College Cork, have stated that the author should not have included the allegations.
There is a satirical account of the controversy by then Irish Times journalist Kevin Myers
Kevin Myers
Kevin Myers is an Irish journalist and writer. He writes for the Irish Independent and is a former contributor to The Irish Times, where he wrote the "An Irishman's Diary" opinion column several times weekly...
in his Irishman's Diary on 10 November 1999. There is also an interesting account by Colum Kenny, Associate Professor of Communications at Dublin City University
Dublin City University
Dublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Santry, Ballymun and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland...
of a meeting he had with the Archbishop as a teenager in the 1960s. Although his attitude to Dr. McQuaid is hostile, he regards Cooney's allegations as absurd.
On 20 June 2009, it was revealed that in 1961 Archbishop McQuaid had established a hostel in Dublin for boys who had been in industrial schools — mainly Artane — and assigned priests to see to their spiritual welfare and to help them integrate into society. In the mid 1960s, one of these priests was the young Diarmuid Martin
Diarmuid Martin
Diarmuid Martin is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin.-Early life and education:...
who went on to become Archbishop of Dublin in 2004 and to take a strong line against alleged clerical abusers.
Official secrecy under bishop Ryan
Whilst archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Ryan continued McQuaid's coverup in relation to clerical abuse. He protected the institution of the Church at all costs instead of caring for the victims of abuse. The 2009 Report found that - "During the period under review, there were four Archbishops – Archbishops McQuaid, Ryan, McNamara and Connell. Not one of them reported his knowledge of child sexual abuse to the Gardaí throughout the 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s."Role of Archbishop McNamara
In the early 2000s, amid growing scandals within the Catholic Church in Ireland about clerical sex abuse, it was revealed that then-Archbishop Kevin McNamaraKevin McNamara (archbishop)
Kevin McNamara was a senior Roman Catholic academic and bishop who in the early 1980s was seen as one of the most outspoken members of the Irish hierarchy on issues such as abortion and divorce...
had sought legal advice as to the Church's liability arising from such abuse. As as result of the advice, McNamara insured
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
the archdiocese to protect it financially, while not revealing the degree of clerical sex abuse recorded in diocesian files to the Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
as required in law. McNamara's role in these and other incidents were featured in an audit of child abuse cases associated with the Dublin archdiocese carried out at the request of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin
Diarmuid Martin
Diarmuid Martin is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin.-Early life and education:...
.
Actions of Cardinal Connell
The failure of Cardinal Desmond ConnellDesmond Connell
Desmond Connell is a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. He is a former Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin....
to adequately address the abuse scandals in Dublin led the Vatican to replace him with Archbishop Martin in the country's largest diocese. Connell's tenure as Primate was marked by recurring and unchecked episodes of child sex abuse by priests and other religious personnel in the Archdiocese of Dublin. His oversight of this was examined by the Commission of Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese, set up by the Irish Government. Connell gave evidence to the Commission in late 2006.
Cardinal Connell had also provided Ivan Payne with a loan of £30,000 in 1993 to satisfy an out-of-court settlement with an abused victim
Shock from Archbishop Martin
In an unprecedented homily for Holy Thursday, Archbishop Diarmuid MartinDiarmuid Martin
Diarmuid Martin is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin.-Early life and education:...
warned that the depth of the abuse would "shock us all". He later said that there was a growing rift between the Church and younger generations, and that the blame does not lie principally with young people.
Vincent Mercer
Although his offences were committed in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, Vincent MercerVincent Mercer
Fr. Vincent Mercer, is a Dominican priest, a convicted paedophile and former headmaster of Newbridge College, County Kildare, Ireland.-2003 case:...
has found refuge in Tallaght. He is a Dominican and former headmaster of Newbridge College Co Kildare. He was convicted in 2003 and 2005 for sexually assaulting 13 boys. The Dominican Order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
was aware of abuse allegations against Mercer when these came to light in 1995 and sheltered him until his 2003 jail sentence.
Paul McGennis
Paul McGennisPaul McGennis
Paul McGennis, a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin pleaded guilty in 1997 to two charges of sexually assaulting a girl at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin when he was chaplain there in 1960...
, a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin pleaded guilty to two charges of sexually assaulting two girls at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin when he was chaplain there in 1960. He pleaded guilty in 1997 to two charges of assaulting a nine year old girl in County Wicklow between 1977 and 1979.
McGennis abused M Collins when as a 13-year-old she was in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in 1961. Collins was later told that McGennis had admitted abusing children. When Collins approached Desmond Cardinal Connell in 1995 about the abuse she endured in 1960, Connell told her in 1996 that the archdiocese would not cooperate with the Garda Siochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
in the investigation and he refused to confirm the priest's admission to the assaults - despite the Irish bishops' strict guidelines for reporting complaints of clerical child abuse to the civil authorities. McGennis was nevertheless convicted and imprisoned. Collins subsequently received an apology from Cardinal Connell for his refusal to cooperate in 1996.
Noel Reynolds
Fr. Noel Reynolds was a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin who died in 1997. He served as curate in eight parishes including RathcooleRathcoole
Rathcoole may refer to:* Rathcoole, Dublin, a village in south Dublin, Republic of Ireland* Rathcoole , a large housing estate in Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK* Rathcoole Aerodrome Co. Cork, Republic of Ireland...
, parish priest of Glendalough
Glendalough
Glendalough or Glendaloch is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is renowned for its Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin, a hermit priest, and partly destroyed in 1398 by English troops....
, County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
and finally as chaplain at the National Rehabilitation Centre, Dun Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
.
Cardinal Connell admitted he knew about the “inappropriate behaviour” of Reynolds two years before he reassigned him from a parish to a hospital chaplaincy, and three years before he finally removed him from duty. A colleague of Reynold's, Fr. Arthur O’Neill, revealed he had reported concerns about Fr. Reynolds while he was parish priest of Rathnew
Rathnew
Rathnew is a village of County Wicklow, Ireland. Located south of the capital Dublin along the N11 between Dublin and Wexford, it is the exit point for those wishing to visit the county town of Wicklow, situated to the East.-Education:...
, Co Wicklow, and Fr. Reynolds was parish priest in neighbouring Glendalough
Glendalough
Glendalough or Glendaloch is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is renowned for its Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin, a hermit priest, and partly destroyed in 1398 by English troops....
, but Reynolds was allowed to continue his duties.
Thomas Naughton
Fr Thomas NaughtonThomas Naughton
Fr Thomas Naughton is a priest of St Patrick's Missionary Order, Kiltegan, County Wicklow, who was found guilty of the indecent assault of minors. He was one of 46 priests mentioned in the Murphy Report.-Early career and sex offences:...
is a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
of St Patrick's Missionary Order, Kiltegan
Kiltegan
Kiltegan is a village in west County Wicklow, Ireland, on the R747 regional road close to the border with County Carlow.The 19th century mansion Humewood House lies just outside of the village...
, County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
. He molested
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
many children in the various parishes he served. He was convicted of abusing an altar boy in Donnycarney and sentenced to three years in prison, reduced on appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
to six months. He attended a treatment centre at Our Lady of Victory, Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District.Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets and cafe culture...
which offers 'therapy in a spiritual context' before his conviction
Brendan Smyth
Ivan Payne
Fr. Ivan PayneIvan Payne
Fr. Ivan Payne is an Irish Roman Catholic priest convicted as a child molester.-Career:He was ordained a priest in 1967 and was attached to the Archdiocese of Dublin. His first appointment was as chaplain in a convent in Killiney, County Dublin from February 1968 to September 1978...
(born August 1943) is a former Irish priest of the diocese of Dublin and a convicted child molester. Payne was convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on January 26, 1998 of 14 sample charges of sexually abusing 8 boys aged between 11 and 14 years old between 1968 and 1987. The abuse took place while the victims were patients in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin in 1991 while Payne was hospital chaplain. He also abused altar boys in Cabra
Cabra, Dublin
Cabra is a suburb on the northside of Dublin city in Ireland. It is approximately northwest of the city centre, in the administrative area of Dublin City Council. It was commonly known as Cabragh until the early 20th century.- Transport and access:...
. He served 4½ years in jail and was released in October 2002. The Archdiocese provides Payne with accommodation and an income equivalent to that of a retired priest. He remains a priest but is not allowed to say Mass or administer sacraments.
Inquiries into claims that Dublin archdiocese covered up abuse
On 18 September 2006 an article in the Irish Independent stated that a four-year Garda (police) inquiry into allegations that the Catholic Church covered up child sex abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese had failed to produce sufficient evidence to lay charges against any senior church figures. In the interim the government established the "Commission of Investigation, Dublin Archdiocese" under Judge Murphy in March 2006 to report on its findings.On 15 October 2009 the High Court ruled that the Commission's report could be published, except for Chapter 19, which contained material relating to three upcoming criminal cases.
On 19 November 2009 the High Court authorised the release of an edited version of the report, with references to three people removed. The slimmed-down report was released online on 26 November. The report strongly criticises the "inappropriate" relationship between some senior Gardaí and priests and bishops and says senior members of the force regarded priests as being outside their investigative remit.
By the end of December 2009 four former or current auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
s of Dublin had offered to resign. Two of these offers were accepted; the other two were refused by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
in August 2010.
Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse
The Commission to Inquire into Child AbuseCommission to Inquire into Child Abuse
The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse is one of a range of measures introduced by the Irish Government to investigate the extent and effects of abuse on children from 1936 onwards. It is commonly known in Ireland as the Ryan Commission , after its chair, Justice Seán Ryan...
(CICA) report was published in May 2009, and reported on the extent and effects of abuse on children in institutions from 1936 onwards. The Commission's report said testimony had demonstrated beyond a doubt that the entire system treated children more like prison inmates and slaves than people with legal rights and human potential, that church officials encouraged ritual beatings and consistently shielded their orders' paedophiles from arrest amid a "culture of self-serving secrecy", and that government inspectors failed to stop the chronic beatings, rapes and humiliation. Some of the schools were in the Dublin archdiocese, such as Artane Industrial school
Artane Industrial school
St. Josephs Industrial School, Artane was an industrial school run by the Christian Brothers in Artane, Dublin from 1870 to 1969.It closed in 1969.-History:The school opened on 28 July 1870, in Artane Castle with fifty-six acres of land added....
. Though run by religious orders, and not by the archdiocese itself, it was found that the archdiocesan authorities including Archbishop McQuaid had commissioned private reports on some of the schools, and knew how they were being run.
See also
- AbuseAbuseAbuse is the improper usage or treatment for a bad purpose, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, sexual assault, violation, rape, unjust practices; wrongful practice or custom; offense; crime, or otherwise...
- Child abuseChild abuseChild abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
- Child sexual abuseChild sexual abuseChild sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
- Religious abuse
- Sexual abuseSexual abuseSexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
- Sexual misconductSexual misconductSexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature. The term may be used to condemn an act, but in some jurisdictions it has also a legal meaning....
- Spiritual abuseSpiritual abuseSpiritual abuse is a serious form of abuse which occurs when a person in a cult-religious authority or a person with a unique spiritual practice misleads and maltreats another person in the name of a deityor church or in the mystery of any spiritual concept...
- Woodstock defence