IRELAND
Herald
Sarah MacDonald – 12 December 2015
One of the bishops most strongly criticised in the Murphy Report over his handling of allegations of clerical sexual abuse in the archdiocese of Dublin has died.
Auxiliary Bishop Dermot O’Mahony was 80 and had been ill for some time.
In a statement, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin expressed his sympathy and said the priests of Dublin were “saddened” by the news of his passing as he held, over many years, several roles of leadership and responsibility.
Fraught
However, the relationship between Archbishop Martin and Bishop O’Mahony is known to have been fraught. They clashed very publicly in 2010 over the findings of the Murphy Report, which Dr O’Mahony challenged publicly and privately.
The report highlighted how he failed to tell either the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dublin diocesan authorities or the gardai that Fr Noel Reynolds had a problem with child sexual abuse.
Fr Reynolds later admitted sexually abusing over 100 children, while a chaplain to the hospital at the time, and in eight parishes.
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