Bishop Brendan Comiskey to be buried on Thursday
Bishop Brendan Comiskey, who resigned following claims he failed to deal properly with child sexual abuse allegations in the diocese of Ferns, is to be laid to rest on Thursday.
Bishop Comiskey, aged 89, died on Sunday in Louth County Hospital, Dundalk.
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He stood down from his role on Easter Monday, 2002, after the BBC aired a documentary called Suing the Pope, which revealed more than 100 allegations of abuse by 21 priests over more than three decades.
The documentary alleged Comiskey had failed to protect children from paedophile priests and had participated in the cover-up of allegations of child sexual abuse.
The allegations resulted in an inquiry into child sexual abuse. The Ferns Report, published by the government in 2005, shed more light on a catalogue of abuse going back to the tenure of Comiskey's predecessor, Donal Herlihy, when he was Bishop.
His Requiem Mass will take place on Thursday at 1pm in the Church of the Sacred Heart, St Johns Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin.
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His funeral notice details that the Monaghan native, who was 'dearly loved' and will be 'sadly missed by his loving and attentive nieces and nephews and their families and extended family.
'Sisters, Brothers and Secular Branch members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary; Bishop Ger Nash and the clergy, religious and laity of the diocese of Ferns and the Archdiocese of Dublin and Brendan's wide circle of friends.'
He was predeceased by his parents Clare (McArdle,) and Patrick J Comiskey, sisters Genevieve and May, brothers Edmond, Joseph, Kevin, Patrick, Maurice, Peter and Sean.
He had been living in the Sacred Hearts Community, Ranelagh, Dublin 6, prior to his death.
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Dr Comiskey primarily resigned over claims that he did not report allegations that Fr Sean Fortune had abused a number of children while Dr Comiskey was in control of the Ferns diocese.
Fr Fortune was a serial paedophile with a manipulative personality, and Dr Comiskey admitted he found him difficult to deal with.
Fortune died by suicide while on bail in 1999.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can freephone the Samaritans 24 hours a day for confidential support at 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.
In the case of an emergency, or if you or someone you know is at risk of suicide or self-harm, dial 999/112.
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