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BreakingNews.ie
29-04-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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@ In the case of an emergency, or if you or someone you know is at risk of suicide or self-harm, dial 999/112.
BreakingNews.ie
29-04-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
'Terrible mistake' if disgraced former bishop is 'uniquely scapegoated' over Ferns Report
It would be a 'terrible mistake' if Bishop Brendan Comiskey was 'uniquely scapegoated' for his legacy with the Ferns Report, the founder of support organisation One in Four has said. 'The simple fact is Brendan Comiskey didn't fail to manage reports of clerical child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Ferns. Rather, he managed them pretty much fully in line with the approach and the rules dictated by the Vatican and laid down in canon law,' Colm O'Gorman told RTÉ radio's Morning Ireland. Advertisement Mr Comiskey, who resigned following claims he failed to deal properly with child sexual abuse allegations, died on Monday aged 89. He stood down as Bishop of Ferns in 2002 after the BBC aired a documentary called Suing the Pope, which uncovered more than 100 allegations of abuse by 21 priests over more than three decades. The documentary alleged Mr Comiskey had failed to protect children from paedophile priests and had participated in the cover-up of allegations of child sexual abuse. The allegations were followed by 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, as Bishop of Ferns, and was strongly critical of Comiskey. Advertisement 'The cover-up of abuse in Ferns wasn't unique to that diocese or any other dioceses on the island of Ireland. It was a cover-up that extended across the Catholic world as we now know and has been proven time and time again in repeated inquiries across the world and through media investigations like some that I've carried out myself,' said O'Gorman. 'It is directed by the Vatican from the top so it's really important that his legacy, if people want to talk about it in terms of abuse, is recognised and understood. He was responsible for what he did. He was responsible for complying with that approach and with those instructions. But it's bigger than that one man. He wasn't unique in that regard.' World Disgraced Cardinal Becciu withdraws from participa... Read More Mr O'Gorman said that Comiskey was responsible for the decisions that he made, his compliance with and his enforcement of the Vatican rules on absolute secrecy in the cases of child sexual abuse, in the cover-up of those crimes, in the pattern of moving priests from parish to parish, even after they had been known to abuse children. 'He was responsible for his actions, for his decisions, for his failure to do what was obviously and patently right. But in doing so, he was part of a collective responsibility and the part of all bishops who were part of that cover-up. But the ultimate responsibility for it rests with the Vatican, with the previous popes across, actually, many, many decades, who enforced and put in place these rules that required the cover-ups.' Advertisement Mr O'Gorman said he had never actually met or spoken with Bishop Comiskey and had always been open to having a conversation with anybody. 'But he never reached out.' 'He often said that he wanted to and that he would, but he never followed through when I attempted to make contact with him, for whatever reason. Obviously he was dealing with his own demons as we all know.'
Irish Times
29-04-2025
- Irish Times
‘Terrible mistake' if Brendan Comiskey scapegoated for his legacy with Ferns Report
It would be a 'terrible mistake' if Bishop Brendan Comiskey was 'uniquely scapegoated' for his legacy with the Ferns Report, the founder of support organisation One in Four, Colm O'Gorman has said. 'The simple fact is Brendan Comiskey didn't fail to manage reports of clerical child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Ferns. Rather, he managed them pretty much fully in line with the approach and the rules dictated by the Vatican and laid down in canon law,' he told RTÉ radio's Morning Ireland. Comiskey who resigned following claims he failed to deal properly with child sexual abuse allegations, died on Monday aged 89. He resigned as Bishop of Ferns in 2002 after the BBC aired a documentary called Suing the Pope, which uncovered more than 100 allegations of abuse by 21 priests over more than three decades. READ MORE [ Bishop Brendan Comiskey dies aged 89 Opens in new window ] 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 were followed by 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, as Bishop of Ferns, and was strongly critical of Comiskey. 'The cover-up of abuse in Ferns wasn't unique to that diocese or any other dioceses on the island of Ireland. It was a cover-up that extended across the Catholic world as we now know and has been proven time and time again in repeated inquiries across the world and through media investigations like some that I've carried out myself,' said O'Gorman. [ Brendan Comiskey: Bishop admitted his best efforts to deal with abuse allegations were 'not good enough' Opens in new window ] 'It is directed by the Vatican from the top so it's really important that his legacy, if people want to talk about it in terms of abuse, is recognised and understood. He was responsible for what he did. He was responsible for complying with that approach and with those instructions. But it's bigger than that one man. He wasn't unique in that regard.' Mr O'Gorman said that Comiskey was responsible for the decisions that he made, his compliance with and his enforcement of the Vatican rules on absolute secrecy in the cases of child sexual abuse, in the cover-up of those crimes, in the pattern of moving priests from parish to parish, even after they had been known to abuse children. 'He was responsible for his actions, for his decisions, for his failure to do what was obviously and patently right. But in doing so, he was part of a collective responsibility and the part of all bishops who were part of that cover-up. But the ultimate responsibility for it rests with the Vatican, with the previous popes across, actually, many, many decades, who enforced and put in place these rules that required the cover-ups.' Mr O'Gorman said he had never actually met or spoken with Bishop Comiskey and had always been open to having a conversation with anybody. 'But he never reached out.' 'He often said that he wanted to and that he would, but he never followed through when I attempted to make contact with him, for whatever reason. Obviously he was dealing with his own demons as we all know.'
Irish Times
28-04-2025
- Irish Times
Brendan Comiskey: Bishop admitted his best efforts to deal with abuse allegations were ‘not good enough'
On his resignation as Catholic Bishop of Ferns in 2002, Brendan Comiskey insisted he had 'done his best' to deal with child sex abuse allegations against the notorious Fr Seán Fortune, but 'clearly that was not good enough'. For the previous fortnight, Comiskey, who died on Monday aged 89 , had refused to comment on a BBC documentary entitled Suing the Pope. It examined his handling of Fr Fortune and raised further questions about child abuse in the diocese in the 1980s and 1990s. The programme followed Colm O'Gorman – who went on to found the One in Four charity – around the diocese, largely comprising Co Wexford , as he identified locations where he said he was abused by Fortune. Comiskey began his resignation press conference by apologising to the four men whose cases the documentary explored. READ MORE 'I apologise also to the families of victims and to all others who have been offended or hurt in different ways by Fr Seán Fortune,' he said, adding that 'the sexual abuse of children is deeply abhorrent to me'. Fr Seán Fortune leaving the Circuit Court in Wexford in 1999. Photograph: Eric Luke He went on to say he had found Fortune 'almost impossible to deal with'. Fortune had in 1999 died by suicide shortly before he was to face child sex abuse charges in the courts. He was accused of the rape and molestation of 29 boys. Comiskey's resignation came a decade on from another major blow for the church's authority in Ireland, the resignation of Bishop of Galway Eamonn Casey after The Irish Times disclosed that he had a 17-year-old son. His departure was followed by the first of what became a series of statutory inquiries into child sexual abuse. Taoiseach Micheál Martin , who at that time was minister for education, set up the Ferns inquiry, which reported in October 2005 and exposed a devastating pattern of cover-up of priest abusers in the diocese. It found this was particularly the case under the previous bishop, Donal Herlihy, but had continued in Comiskey's time. The annexed report set out the difficulties experienced by Comiskey in securing the removal of diocesan clergy under his aegis from particular posts held by them. However, it found his handling of allegations and complaints had been 'inappropriate and inadequate' and he had 'failed to recognise the paramount need to protect children, as a matter of urgency, from potential abusers'. The Ferns Report established a template for what would later be exposed by the Murphy commission in Dublin (2009) and Cloyne dioceses (2011) and the Ryan commission (2009). After his resignation, Comiskey lived quietly for more than two decades at a house belonging to his congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Dublin. He was from Clontibret, Co Monaghan. He had been receiving treatment for cancer before his death. His illness was said to have been exacerbated by overseeing the removal of the remains of five members of his family in Co Monaghan last November. This was done in the belief that one of `the disappeared', Joseph Lynskey, had been buried there by an IRA squad. However, the remains discovered were not those of Mr Lynskey and have yet to be identified. As a younger priest, Comiskey spent some time ministering in the United States before he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Dublin in 1979. He was appointed bishop of Ferns in 1984. Brendan Comiskey with Archbishop Dermot Ryan during his time as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin. Photograph: Eddie Kelly He was regarded as an excellent communicator and, as a result, was a frequent and high-profile contributor to radio and television programmes. One of his last public appearances was at the funeral of Peter Kavanagh, a brother of poet Patrick Kavanagh, at which he presided in 2006. Speaking to South East Radio on Monday, Mr O'Gorman said his first thought on hearing of Comiskey's death was that it was 'sad'. He offered his 'genuine and heartfelt condolences to his family, his friends and those who loved him'. He said he was concerned that Comiskey might be 'uniquely scapegoated' for what happened not just in Ferns but beyond. 'Brendan Comiskey was Bishop of Ferns during the period that he was Bishop of Ferns, but Ferns wasn't unique, and his management of political child sex abuse and Ferns was not unique,' he said. 'He managed it in the way that he was directed to manage it by canon law and by the Vatican.'
Irish Times
28-04-2025
- Irish Times
Former bishop Brendan Comiskey, who resigned after Ferns Report, dies aged 89
Former bishop Brendan Comiskey, who resigned following claims he failed to deal properly with child sexual abuse allegations, has died aged 89. The once rapidly rising and articulate member of the Catholic hierarchy resigned as bishop of Ferns in 2002 after the BBC aired a documentary called 'Suing the Pope', which uncovered more than 100 allegations of abuse by 21 priests over more than three decades. The documentary alleged Comiskey failed to protect children from paedophile priests and participated in the cover-up of allegations of child sexual abuse. READ MORE The allegations were followed by 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, as Bishop of Ferns. The report found Comiskey's handling of allegations and complaints was 'an inappropriate and inadequate response'. It concluded that he 'failed to recognise the paramount need to protect children, as a matter of urgency, from potential abusers'. Many cases of child sexual abuse by clerics in the diocese happened under Comiskey's leadership, the Ferns Report further found. It emerged that Fr Sean Fortune, a now notorious abuser accused of the rape and molestation of 29 boys, was one of the priests who was protected by silence. He died by suicide in March 1999 while awaiting trial. One of those who was abused by Fortune, the founder of the charity One in Four Colm O'Gorman, has said he does not think the former bishop should be a scapegoat. Speaking to Southeast Radio, Mr O'Gorman said his first thought was sadness and 'genuine and heartfelt condolences to his family, his friends and those who loved him'. 'The man has died, and that is sad,' he said. One in Four supports adults who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, as well as their families and those who have engaged in sexually harmful behaviour. 'I'm concerned that he might be uniquely scapegoated for what happened, not just in the Diocese of Ferns but beyond it. Brendan Comiskey was bishop of Ferns during the period that he was Bishop of Ferns, but Ferns wasn't unique, and his management of political child sex abuse and Ferns was not unique. 'He managed it in the way that he was directed to manage it by canon law and by the Vatican', he said.
