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Edinburgh Reporter
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Fringe 2025 – Our Brothers in Cloth ⭐⭐⭐⭐
In 2005 the Irish government published the Ferns Report on its inquiry into allegations of child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Ferns, County Wexford. The report looked solely at the responses of the Roman Catholic church and the civil authorities to the allegations. The report was highly critical of the diocesan bishop, the police and the local health authorities. Twenty years later, Irish writer Ronan Colfer brings his play Our Brothers in Cloth to the Fringe. Colfer's own family was deeply affected by clerical child sex abuse, which resulted in the suicide of a close relative. Our Brothers in Cloth focuses on the devastating impact of clerical abuse on one family, the aftershocks that reverberate from it, and the refusal of a very traditional rural community to accept the truth. In recent years we have seen how women have suffered at the hands of the Catholic church (Small Things Like These, The Magdalene Sisters, The Woman in the Wall); Colfer looks instead at the abuse of young children and the ways in which the perpetrators were protected, as much by lay people's reluctance to face facts as by the authorities' unwillingness to tarnish the reputation of the most powerful organisation in 20th century Ireland. The Kinsella family is mourning its younger son, Christopher, who has taken his own life. His brother Alan (Jake Douglas) burns with grief and guilt; when Chris first attempted suicide a horrified Alan just gave him a good telling off. Since Chris died, the much loved parish priest Fr Mulvaney has moved away, replaced by Fr Seamus O'Donovan (Ronan Colfer); when Alan's friend Mark (Michael Lavin) comes home from London for a visit, we find out why. From then on Alan is on a mission to expose Mulvaney's guilt, but he faces fierce opposition from his mother Martina (Rosalind Stockwell), who can't accept that any priest could do such things. There's been a reported case down in Kerry, and that priest was exonerated by the church; this is all just more lies and rumour. When Mulvaney is finally arrested, Alan thinks many people will come forward – but none does. Douglas powerfully conveys Alan's isolation and despair; he has nowhere to turn, and even when he speaks to his former girlfriend Siobhan (Oli Fyne), she, while sympathetic, is doubtful. Fr Mulveney was such a good man, such a compassionate man, so helpful. He even set up the work scheme that Alan's lately been attending. Despite this, Siobhan and Alan's nightime meeting is a welcome and tender interlude in what is otherwise a tense and rightly shocking hour. Their love for one another is evident; she's the only person in the town who listens to him, despite her misgivings, and the chemistry between them poignantly exposes Alan's vulnerability. Into all this mess comes Fr O'Donovan. He wants to help the Kinsellas; he's holding meetings that Martina's making Alan attend to try to get him off the drink. He offers Martina counselling. He preaches sermons about the evils of alcohol, and quotes, without irony, from Proverbs about not believing deceitful people. He tells Alan that the Bishop will now investigate the accusations against Mulvaney – then ruins it all by adding, 'Father Mulvaney will be found to be innocent.' When Fr O'Donovan tries to defend the church, to separate it from the alleged abusers, Alan brings the full force of his rage down on the priest, 'This church been nothing but a scourge on Ireland!' Whilst every word Alan says rings true, this part of the play did feel a little didactic. I wasn't sure that it fitted Alan's character; yes he is angry and frustrated, but he's also an unemployed labourer, and this speech sounds more like that of an academic. Nevertheless, the central relationship between Alan and his mother is completely convincing at all times. Martina is scandalised by her son's attack on her beloved church; already broken by Chris's death she relies on her priest to get her through – where can she turn if the church itself is culpable? There is a touching scene at the end when she slips back into her memories of the boys' early childhood; as she talks through a particular event a look of uncertainty crosses her face. Was she wrong after all? And if she was, what does that mean for her family, her faith and her life in the small community she's always known? The acting in Our Brothers in Cloth is faultless. Jake Douglas is outstanding as Alan, but every character is played with nuance and skill. Traditional music is used to separate scenes, emphasising the rural and traditional nature of the town, and perhaps also its reluctance to question its long held views. The simple set design works well; having the non—speaking characters in some scenes remain seated at the back of the stage is a very effective way of implying their unwilling involvement. They can try to pretend they don't know what's happening, but they're still present in the moment, they can't escape. Another excellent touch is the loud ticking of the clock, which becomes particularly noticeable when Fr O'Donovan wants to talk to Alan about Chris. In the silence that follows, the clock is like the ticking of a time bomb; when Alan's rage explodes, I was so shocked I jumped in my seat. It's the silence of a nation, about to be shattered forever. Our Brothers in Cloth is a Poke the Bear Production, directed by Ryan McVeigh and produced by Oli Fyne and Ronan Colfer. See it at Assembly George Square, Studio 5 (Venue 20) at 12.15pm every day until 25 August. Tickets here. Please note: there is no show on Tuesday 19 August. For this production, Poke the Bear are partnering with survivors' charities Nexus NI and The Survivors Trust, and activist survivors Colm O'Gorman (who campaigned to have the Ferns Inquiry set up) and Sean Faloon. Like this: Like Related
RTÉ News
01-05-2025
- RTÉ News
Funeral takes place of former Bishop of Ferns Brendan Comiskey
The funeral has taken place of the former Bishop of Ferns, Dr Brendan Comiskey. His funeral mass at Sruleen Parish Church in Clondalkin in Dublin heard of a life lived through faith, hope and love. Dr Comiskey, was remembered as a man who cherished his time with his family and that there was a profound sense of gratitude among his family, friends and colleagues for the love his gave them and the wisdom he shared. He was ordained a priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 1961 and became Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Dublin in 1979. In 1984 he was appointed the Bishop of Ferns. He resigned in 2002 amid claims that he failed to report allegations that Fr Sean Fortune had abused a number of children while Dr Comiskey was in control of the Ferns diocese. Those allegations resulted in an inquiry known as the Ferns Report. It found that the former bishop had failed to establish sound child protection measures in the diocese. Fr James Fegan, a former colleague of Dr Comiskey in Ferns, told those gathered for the funeral mass that Dr Comiskey was "a product of the church culture of his time" where the focus was on the organisation rather than on people.
Sunday World
01-05-2025
- Sunday World
Video: Funeral of disgraced Bishop Brendan Comiskey takes place in Clondalkin
The Bishop moved away from public life after the Ferns Report exposed abuse by the church The funeral of disgraced Bishop Brendan Comiskey, who resigned over criticism of his role in investigating allegations of clerical sexual abuse, has been buried today. The funeral of the 89 year old took place earlier today at the Church of the Sacred Heart on St Johns Drive in Clondalkin, Dublin. Predeceased by his parents, two sisters and seven brothers, the holy man ended his career in disgrace after the Ferns Report revealed the true extent of the abuse inflicted on kids in the care of the church. Soon after the report was made public, the Monaghan native retreated from public life as it emerged that Comiskey had failed to protect children from paedophile priests and failed to report allegations that Fr Seán Fortune had abused a number of children. The Ferns report found that Comiskey had "failed to recognise the paramount need to protect children, as a matter of urgency, from potential abusers". Born in August 1935, Dr Comiskey was originally from Clontibret in Co Monaghan and was ordained a priest in 1961. He became Bishop of Ferns back in 1984, aged just 49. He would serve in the role for 18 years, through what is widely regarded as one of the darkest periods of the Catholic Church. Speaking to the Irish Independent in 2014 about the clerical abuse scandal, he said: 'I did my best and it wasn't good enough and that's it.' In recent years, Bishop Comiskey had been under the care of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Ranelagh in Dublin.
BreakingNews.ie
01-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Mourners at controversial bishop's funeral told one moment cannot define a life
Mourners at the funeral of a controversial bishop who resigned over his handling of cleric abuse allegations have been told that one moment cannot define a person's life or legacy. Bishop Brendan Comiskey, who died this week at the age of 89, quit as bishop of the Ferns diocese in the southeast in 2002 after acknowledging failings in his handling of complaints against notorious priest Fr Sean Fortune. Advertisement The diocese's much-criticised response to allegations against Fr Fortune, who took his own life in 1999 while on bail awaiting trial on a litany of child abuse charges, and other clerics in its parishes prompted the government's landmark Ferns Inquiry. Former bishop of Ferns Brendan Comiskey died aged 89 (PA) The subsequent Ferns Report, published in 2005, was damning of the diocese's handling of clerical abuse allegations across a four-decade period. Requiem mass for Bishop Comiskey, who was originally from Co Monaghan, was held in the Church of the Sacred Heart in Clondalkin in west Dublin on Thursday. Fr Jim Fegan, a priest in the Ferns diocese, told hundreds of mourners who gathered for the service that failure in one aspect of a person's life does not define them entirely. Advertisement He said the bishop was in some respects a 'product of the church culture of his time'. Fr Fegan said the bishop 'believed deeply in the power of kindness and that every person deserved to be treated with dignity and respect'. 'And he embraced this belief wholeheartedly,' he added. 'He had a huge, huge heart, and he always spoke of the value of compassion and the power of a kind word or a helping hand.' Advertisement The coffin of Bishop Brendan Comiskey arrives at the Church of the Sacred Heart, in Clondalkin (Arthur Carron/PA) Reflecting on his resignation as Bishop of Ferns, Fr Fegan said: 'Leadership is never easy, and Brendan experienced his own unique mix of gifts, challenges and life lessons, and there were times when he felt he did not meet the expectations that had been set before him, but yet it is very important to recognise that failure in one aspect does not define the entirety of a person's life or their great legacy.' The cleric went on to quote part of the statement Bishop Comiskey made upon his resignation. It was a statement in which the bishop asked for forgiveness and acknowledged while he had tried to do his best, his best was 'not good enough'. The priest then told mourners: 'My friends, we can see more clearly now that Brendan Comiskey was in some ways a product of the church culture of his time, and that was a culture that focused on organisation rather than people. 'At all times, Brendan stated very clearly that all those who have suffered abuse must never be forgotten, and they must be assured of how much God truly loves them and how abuse is handled must be constantly under review. Advertisement Ireland 'Terrible mistake' if disgraced former bishop is '... Read More 'No one moment is the measure of a person's life. All the moments must be in the scales, and we leave the final reckoning to God, who alone knows our innermost thoughts. 'The overall story of Brendan Comiskey's life and the church that he led, I believe, helps to shape our approach to leadership and accountability today so we too can admit when we have gone astray and correct our course, so that we can better appreciate that leadership is, above all, a shared endeavour filled with good decisions and bad, and that life is not just about how we handle our failures or our successes, but rather about the love we give to our companions on the road.' After the service, the bishop's remains were taken for burial in Annyalla Cemetery in Co Monaghan.
Irish Examiner
01-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Mourners at controversial bishop's funeral told one moment cannot define a life
Mourners at the funeral of a controversial Irish bishop who resigned over his handling of cleric abuse allegations have been told that one moment cannot define a person's life or legacy. Bishop Brendan Comiskey, who died this week at the age of 89, quit as bishop of the Ferns diocese in the south-east of Ireland in 2002 after acknowledging failings in his handling of complaints against notorious priest Fr Sean Fortune. The diocese's much-criticised response to allegations against Fr Fortune, who took his own life in 1999 while on bail awaiting trial on a litany of child abuse charges, and other clerics in its parishes prompted the government's landmark Ferns Inquiry. Former bishop of Ferns Brendan Comiskey died aged 89 (PA) The subsequent Ferns Report, published in 2005, was damning of the diocese's handling of clerical abuse allegations across a four-decade period. Requiem mass for Bishop Comiskey, who was originally from Co Monaghan, was held in the Church of the Sacred Heart in Clondalkin in west Dublin on Thursday. Fr Jim Fegan, a priest in the Ferns diocese, told hundreds of mourners who gathered for the service that failure in one aspect of a person's life does not define them entirely. He said the bishop was in some respects a 'product of the church culture of his time'. Fr Fegan said the bishop 'believed deeply in the power of kindness and that every person deserved to be treated with dignity and respect'. 'And he embraced this belief wholeheartedly,' he added. 'He had a huge, huge heart, and he always spoke of the value of compassion and the power of a kind word or a helping hand.' The coffin of Bishop Brendan Comiskey arrives at the Church of the Sacred Heart, in Clondalkin (Arthur Carron/PA) Reflecting on his resignation as Bishop of Ferns, Fr Fegan said: 'Leadership is never easy, and Brendan experienced his own unique mix of gifts, challenges and life lessons, and there were times when he felt he did not meet the expectations that had been set before him, but yet it is very important to recognise that failure in one aspect does not define the entirety of a person's life or their great legacy.' The cleric went on to quote part of the statement Bishop Comiskey made upon his resignation. It was a statement in which the bishop asked for forgiveness and acknowledged while he had tried to do his best, his best was 'not good enough'. The priest then told mourners: 'My friends, we can see more clearly now that Brendan Comiskey was in some ways a product of the church culture of his time, and that was a culture that focused on organisation rather than people. 'At all times, Brendan stated very clearly that all those who have suffered abuse must never be forgotten, and they must be assured of how much God truly loves them and how abuse is handled must be constantly under review. 'No one moment is the measure of a person's life. All the moments must be in the scales, and we leave the final reckoning to God, who alone knows our innermost thoughts. 'The overall story of Brendan Comiskey's life and the church that he led, I believe, helps to shape our approach to leadership and accountability today so we too can admit when we have gone astray and correct our course, so that we can better appreciate that leadership is, above all, a shared endeavour filled with good decisions and bad, and that life is not just about how we handle our failures or our successes, but rather about the love we give to our companions on the road.' After the service, the bishop's remains were taken for burial in Annyalla Cemetery in Co Monaghan.
