Malachy Finegan: Relief as Clonduff parochial house knocked down

BBC News

03-05-2025

A man who said he was sexually abused as a child by a priest has spoken of his relief after the building where some of the attacks took place was taken down.Sean Faloon said he was repeatedly abused by the late Fr Malachy Finegan in Clonduff parochial house in Hilltown, County Down.The building, which became vacant shortly after the scandal emerged, had been vandalised and set on fire in recent years. Mr Faloon told BBC News NI he was relieved that the "monument to a monster is no longer visible".
"It was stomach-churning for a lot of the residents of Hilltown and the parish to see that building," he said. "You could seen it for miles around. It was a daily reminder to them about what had happened in their community."It's a relieving step for everyone."
Finegan was the subject of sex assault accusations from several victims who were under his supervision as children when he worked as a parish priest in Clonduff and a headmaster in Newry.He died in 2002 without being prosecuted or questioned by police about the allegations.However, the Diocese of Dromore has since paid substantial damages to some of Finegan's former pupils from Newry's St Colman's College.The parochial house where he used to live on the Castlewellan Road in Hilltown has been vacant for years and was damaged in an arson attack in 2023.Last December, the parish announced plans to raze the empty building and use the site as a car park for the adjacent Catholic primary school.At the time, Mr Faloon said he found out about the plans through the media and criticised the parish authorities for not consulting him earlier. However, he supported demolition in principle and at one stage suggested he could help knock it down it as that might help him face his "demons from the past".But he said his request could not be facilitated due to "modern day building regulations".The structure had to be gradually dismantled rather than demolished, with many of its materials preserved for recycling. "I understand and I accept that," Mr Faloon said.
'Setting 13-year-old Sean free'
Instead, days before the work began, he was allowed into the building for a final time in a visit facilitated by the current parish priest, Fr Charles Byrne.He spent almost an hour walking around the parochial house, reflecting on the trauma of his childhood abuse.
"At the entrance door at the back it felt awkward because I could hear the doors closing and that's where the abuse began," he said."In the living room it felt cold because I could see 13-year-old Sean sitting on the sofa. "The expression on his face said: 'Get me out of here'."He explained some sections of the building were more difficult to revisit than others, but overall the experience was cathartic. "I have succeeded in setting 13-year-old Sean free," he said. The Hilltown native, who now lives in Scotland, previously avoided visiting his hometown in daylight because seeing the building brought back painful memories."I look forward to my next visit home to Ireland without that monument to a monster disturbing my view and disturbing my thoughts for the day."
'A new chapter'
Fr Byrne told BBC News NI the parish wanted to help Mr Faloon and he hoped getting rid of the house would bring some "peace and healing into Sean's life". "It will be good when he comes back that the building will be gone," the priest said. "It won't bring full healing, but hopefully it will help."Fr Byrne also expressed a wish that the project would usher in a "new chapter" for the area and improve road safety in the vicinity of the school.The parish website says the cleared site will "become part of the school grounds for the good of the children". The website, which contains detailed plans, adds: "We propose to build a new hall and meeting room which will be for the benefit of our parish community."
Mr Faloon, who is a former pupil of St Patrick's Primary School, said he was looking to the future and was pleased the school will make use of the vacant site. He said Clonduff parishioners have told him his old school "badly needs expansion" so he now hopes "they can take full advantage of this".There have also been some suggestions that a plaque or memorial garden could be added to the site in tribute to Finegan's victims. "If that was to happen I would be in favour of plaque," Mr Faloon said.But he did not support the idea of a garden as it "would need maintenance" and he would be concerned about ongoing costs to the parish. "Keep it simple," he said.
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