IRELAND
Irish Times

BARRY ROCHE, Southern Correspondent

A Dominican priest has been sentenced to three years in jail with the final 18 months suspended after he admitted subjecting a young boy to eight years of sexual abuse at various locations in Munster around 20 years ago.

Fr Vincent Mercer (66), c/o the Black Abbey in Kilkenny, pleaded guilty to 39 counts of sexually assaulting the boy at locations in Cork and Limerick and other unknown locations on various dates between January 1st 1986 and February 22nd 1994.

Today at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Garda Caroline Keogh told how the abuse took place when Mercer, who is out of ministry but remains a member of the Dominican Order, was attached to St Mary’s Church on Pope’s quay in Cork city.

The victim’s parents trusted Mercer to the extent that he would have been a weekly visitor to their home and…