IRELAND
Irish Independent
GORDON DEEGAN, RALPH RIEGEL AND SARAH MACDONALD – PUBLISHED 13 MAY 2014
A BISHOP has admitted that it was “a terrible thing” that an abusive priest was allowed to remain in ministry after complaints of sex abuse had been made against him.
Bishop of Killaloe Dr Kieran O’Reilly said that it was “inexcusable” that ‘Father A’ remained an active priest until he retired in 1993.
The priest is the late Fr Tom McNamara, who served in the east Clare area of Mountshannon-Whitegate area during the 1970s to 1990s.
A report by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC) reported that there were 26 complaints of abuse concerning ‘Father A’.
Dr O’Reilly confirmed that the late Bishop of Killaloe Dr Michael Harty had referred ‘Father A’ to therapy.
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