Latest news with #StColman'sCollege
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
Relief as 'monument to a monster' paedophile priest demolished
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. 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." 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. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article details of help and support are available on the BBC Action Line. Sex abuse victim wants to 'face demons' before demolition Proposals to demolish parochial house of accused priest Priest abuse survivor speaks of 'secret'
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Yahoo
Bishop's House items sold to help settle abuse claims
The contents of a former Catholic bishop's home in Newry have been auctioned by the Diocese of Dromore, which will use some of the proceeds to compensate clerical abuse victims. In recent years the diocese was sued by a number of people who were sexually abused as children by Dromore clergymen, including the late Fr Malachy Finegan. The Bishop's House, set in grounds off Newry's Armagh Road, was earmarked in 2023 as being among the diocesan assets that could be sold to meet its liabilities. In a statement, the diocese said it was also selling the contents of the house to fund "various safeguarding matters, including redress for victims and survivors of abuse". Finegan, who died in 2002, was headmaster of the neighbouring St Colman's College boys' school and also served as parish priest in Clonduff, County Down. Some of his victims received six-figure sums in compensation after initiating legal action against the Diocese of Dromore, including one man who secured £400,000. A few months after that 2023 settlement, the diocese identified assets it could sell "in order to meet our existing and ongoing safeguarding responsibilities". These included the Bishop's House and adjacent lands close to St Colman's College. This week hundreds of items from inside the listed building, including ornate furniture, paintings and ornaments, went under the hammer. The auction attracted interest from several hundred bidders from around the world, according to Victor Mee Auctions, the County Cavan firm which handled the sale. Among the more significant items was a marble-topped table, originally from Tandragee Castle, which was bought by a priest in a 1950s dispersal sale. The table had a top estimate of €8,000 (£6,700), but on Wednesday it sold for €33,600 (£28,000). "We knew it was going to do a lot better than the estimate, but it probably went higher than we thought," auctioneer Brian Mee told BBC News NI. He could not reveal the buyer's identity but said the transaction meant the table would stay on the island of Ireland. "It's nice that it's staying, because it is a piece of Irish history," he added. At the weekend the Bishop's House was opened to the public so bidders could view its contents. Mr Mee estimated about 700 people visited the house over three open days, and a similar number of online bidders took part in the first auction on Wednesday. He added there was plenty of interest from the USA, Canada, Australia, Italy, the UK and across Ireland. Although there were more than 1,000 lots in the Bishop's House auction catalogue, many of them were not owned by the Diocese of Dromore. About half were from other estates, including some of the quirkier items such as antique guns and taxidermy animals. Asked if the Bishop's House has now been sold, the diocese replied: "The auction is taking place while the process for the sale of the house and lands is ongoing." The building is the former residence of previous Dromore bishops. The last man to hold that post was Bishop John McAreavey, who resigned seven years ago following criticism of how he dealt with Fr Finegan. Bishop McAreavey was not replaced when he stepped down in 2018 - instead his duties were taken on by apostolic administrators appointed by Pope Francis. Dromore's current apostolic administrator is the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin. In a letter to people in the Diocese of Dromore in November 2023, Archbishop Martin announced a proposal to sell the Bishop's House and nearby lands. At the time, he said some abuse survivors had taken compensation cases against the diocese and he was "conscious that remaining diocesan funds are limited". In the letter, Archbishop Martin repeated his apology "for the hurt and damage" caused to victims and survivors of clerical abuse, describing it as a "terrible wrong". He said he wanted to tell parishioners how the diocese was going to find the resources needed to meet its ongoing responsibilities "for the legacy of abuse and for keeping all children and vulnerable people safe now and in the future in all Church activities". However, one of Finegan's victims told BBC News NI he is concerned about how local parishioners will respond to the sell-off of Church property. Tony Gribbon leads the Dromore Group, which represents 15 men who were abused as children by clergy in the diocese. He said a damaging narrative was emerging that the diocese felt like it had to sell off "the family silver to pay off childhood sex abuse survivors". "We're frightened that there could be a public reaction if the Church continues to link redress to the selling off of key Church assets," Mr Gribben said. His group is also seeking reassurances from the diocese about what will happen to the archives of former Dromore bishops after the sale. The campaigner added the auctioned items may appear "glamourous" to some bidders but for Dromore survivors they will be forever "tainted" by association with abuse. Fr Malachy Finegan was recently described by lawyers representing his victims as "one of Ireland's most prolific child abusers". The priest was accused of abusing several boys at St Colman's College where he taught from 1967 to 1976, eventually becoming its headmaster. After leaving the school, he was appointed parish priest of Clonduff, where he was also accused of a long campaign of child sexual abuse. But during his lifetime he was never prosecuted or questioned by police about the allegations against him. Proposals to demolish parochial house of accused priest Finegan abuse survivor in £400,000 settlement Ex-pupil awarded £30k damages over alleged abuse Man abused by priest gets six-figure settlement
BBC News
14-02-2025
- BBC News
Newry: Bishop's House contents sold to help pay for abuse claims
The contents of a former Catholic bishop's home in Newry have been auctioned by the Diocese of Dromore, which will use some of the proceeds to compensate clerical abuse victims. In recent years the diocese was sued by a number of people who were physically and sexually abused as children by one of its priests, the late Fr Malachy Bishop's House, set in grounds off Newry's Armagh Road, was earmarked in 2023 as being among the diocesan assets that could be sold to meet its a statement, the diocese said it will also use the sale of its contents to fund "various safeguarding matters, including redress for victims and survivors of abuse". Finegan, who died in 2002, was headmaster of the neighbouring St Colman's College boys' school, and also served as a parish priest in Clonduff, County Down. Some of his victims received six-figure sums in compensation after initiating legal action against the Diocese of Dromore, including one man who secured £400,000.A few months after that 2023 settlement, the diocese said it had identified assets it could sell "in order to meet our existing and ongoing safeguarding responsibilities".These included the Bishop's House, its gardens and some adjacent lands close to St Colman's College. This week hundreds of items from inside the listed building, including ornate furniture, paintings and ornaments, went under the hammer. Marble table sold for €33,600 The auction attracted interest from several hundred bidders from around the world, according to Victor Mee Auctions, the County Cavan firm which handled the the more significant items was a marble-topped table, originally from Tandragee Castle, which was bought by a priest in a dispersal sale in the 1950s. The table had a top estimate of €8,000 (£6,700), but on Wednesday night it sold for €33,600 (£28,000)."We knew it was going to do a lot better than the estimate, but it probably went higher than we thought," auctioneer Brian Mee told BBC News could not reveal the buyer's identity but said the transaction meant the table would stay on the island of Ireland. "It's nice that it's staying, because it is a piece of Irish history," he said. At the weekend the Bishop's House was opened to the public so that potential bidders could view the building's Mee estimated about 700 people visited the house over the three open days, and a similar number of online bidders took part in the first auction on added there was plenty of interest from customers in the USA, Canada, Australia, Italy, the UK and across Ireland. Although there were more than 1,000 lots in the Bishop's House auction catalogue, many of them were not owned by the Diocese of half of the lots were from other estates, including some of the quirkier items, such as antique guns and taxidermy if the Bishop's House has now been sold, the diocese replied: "The auction is taking place while the process for the sale of the house and lands is ongoing." The Bishop's House is the former private residence of the holders of the title of the Bishop of Dromore. The last man to hold that post was Bishop John McAreavey, who resigned seven years ago following criticism of how he dealt with Fr Malachy Finegan. Bishop McAreavey was not replaced when he stepped down in 2018 - instead his duties have been carried out by apostolic administrators appointed by Pope current apostolic administrator is the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Archbishop Eamon took on the role in addition to his responsibilities as archbishop of the neighbouring Archdiocese of Armagh. 'Diocesan funds are limited' In a letter to people in the Diocese of Dromore in November 2023, Archbishop Martin announced a proposal to sell the Bishop's House and nearby the time, he said some abuse survivors had taken legal cases against the diocese for compensation and he was "conscious that remaining diocesan funds are limited". In the letter, Archbishop Martin repeated his apology "for the hurt and damage" caused to victims and survivors of clerical abuse, describing it as a "terrible wrong".He said he wanted to tell parishioners how the diocese was going to find the resources needed to meet its ongoing responsibilities "for the legacy of abuse and for keeping all children and vulnerable people safe now and in the future in all Church activities". His letter also outlined that sections of the land "would likely be very suitable for residential development" to meet housing needs in Newry. Who was Fr Malachy Finegan? Fr Malachy Finegan was recently described by a law firm representing some of his victims as "one of Ireland's most prolific child abusers".The priest was accused of abusing several boys at St Colman's College in Newry, where he taught from 1967 to 1976, eventually becoming its he left the school, he was appointed as a parish priest of Clonduff, where he was also accused of a long campaign of child sexual abuse. But during his lifetime he was never prosecuted or questioned by police about the allegations made against last year, Clonduff parish announced plans to demolish its parochial house in Hilltown, in which Finegan was accused of carrying out multiple sexual some of Finegan's victims objected to that announcement because they had not been properly consulted.
BBC News
12-02-2025
- BBC News
Clerical abuse survivors hope study will lead to public inquiry
Tony Gribben describes "cowering like a dog", as he was "beaten down" by his abuser at his boarding school. "The violence meted out on me was both physical and sexual," Mr Gribben survivors want an independent public inquiry into the abuse they suffered by clergy and other religious leaders in Northern Ireland. The devolved Northern Ireland government is now considering how to deal with the issue and has commissioned a study, which Mr Gribben describes as a "critical step forward".Warning: This page contains distressing details The research is gathering the stories of survivors of abuse in what is termed "faith settings" – which can include churches, schools and other places where clergy and leaders in religious organisations abused Gribben said the abuses he suffered began during his first year in boarding school."It started with beatings around the head. On reflection, I understand this was part of his tactics – beating me down," Mr Gribben said."Then it moved on to general sexual assault – like hands down sweaters, fondling, kissing – and culminated in extreme sexual violence."Mr Gribben was abused by Father Malachy Finnegan, who died in was accused of multiple sexual assaults on boys, including at St Colman's College in Newry, County Down, where he became he was never prosecuted or questioned by Gribben and the survivor support network, the Dromore Group, want an independent public inquiry into clerical abuse in Northern Ireland. 'How do I deal?' "It's the lived experience which touches on people's hearts," says Mr Gribben, who is encouraging people to take part in the project."It is through disclosure that you empower yourself."Mr Gribben decided to report the abuse he suffered to the police in 2019, when he was coming to the end of his career."I was preparing for my retirement, and all this came flooding back," he said."The box reopened, and I was moving into the last phase of my life."I thought, how do I deal with this?"He is keen to help spread the word about the research to other survivors who, like himself, live abroad."One common factor amongst those who have been abused as children is that they tend to move away from the environment where they lived. There are too many triggers for them to have a normal life," he explained."Part of me believes that as survivors we've become strong in our numbers, and our voice is being heard."I'm confident the administration in Northern Ireland is taking this issue seriously." 'A lack of accountability' Nikella Holmes agrees that "survivors aren't being quiet any more".She was abused by a youth leader at her former church, Gary Thompson, who was jailed last year."We are coming into a new age where we see survivors are strong people. That's what's going to bring change," she told BBC News NI."For me, it took a long time to believe that I was abused."Sometimes we can use Christian principles like forgiveness to try to leave behind what happened."That's never going to work with this kind of trauma."She has taken part in the research and is particularly encouraging people from a Protestant background, like her, to come forward."We have heard a lot about abuse in the Catholic Church – we haven't heard a lot of stories from people with a Protestant background."I have no doubt those stories are there."She points out that evangelical, non-denominational churches often aren't part of an overarching organisation – and "what comes along with that can be a lack of accountability"."We can look up the safeguarding policies of larger denominations - sometimes right down to when text messaging should stop between a leader and an attendee."With evangelical churches the leadership can just be a family, and often it comes down to them – what they're going to report, what steps they're going to take, and for me that can be dangerous." 'Let out the poison' Three strands of research are being carried out – into safeguarding policies; records held by faith organisations and public bodies; and survivors' Tim Chapman, who is leading the project on victims' testimonies, promises a sensitive approach."It's very important that we hear people's authentic stories."We're not going in with a list of questions. We ask survivors what they want to tell us about what happened, how it's impacted their life, and what response they got if they reported it."Survivors who take part can meet online or in person, and they can choose whether they want to speak to a man or a is a guarantee of confidentiality, and the project team is aware some people who speak to them haven't told their families about what they've said there aren't adequate statistics available to put a number on how many people are affected by the issues, but he believes there are "thousands" across Northern Ireland."There are many who feel they can't come forward; they just can't bear talking about it."In my view, there's a toxicity about it. So we need to let out the poison, acknowledge what's happened, and do our best to repair it." 'Getting to the truth' The report will form the basis of recommendations by an interdepartmental working group and a survivors' reference group to the first and deputy first has already been a public inquiry into abuse in residential institutions in Northern Ireland – and one is being set up into institutions for unmarried there has not been such an investigation into abuse by religious leaders in the Gribben hopes the leaders of the Northern Ireland Executive will call a public highlights a number of questions in his case, which he feels need to be examined – such as whether Father Malachy Finnegan was a police informer during the conflict in Northern Ireland, and how he was "packed off" to a rural parish where he was accused of continuing his abuse."We have too many brick walls at this point in time in terms of getting to the truth of why all this was allowed to happen over decades."Only a public inquiry will get to the nearest possible point of truth, which will then help survivors deal with this." Details on how to take part in the research project are available you have been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can visit the BBC Action Line for support.
