Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Paedo priest Finegan’s 3yrs in Co Laois parish
Diocese: No complaints made
NOTORIOUS paedophile priest Malachy Finegan ministered for three years in a diocese in the Republic, it was revealed yesterday.
It was believed the vile cleric who abused at least a dozen boys in Northern Ireland had not operated in the south.
But a spokesman for the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin admitted Finegan worked as a curate in Rosenallis, Co Laois, from 1953 to 1956.
In response to questions from RTE News, the spokesman added the diocese had “no knowledge or record of any c o mp l a i n t o r a l l e g a t i o n concerning Fr Finegan”.
Former Irish President Mary Mcaleese called for a public inquiry into how the diocese of Dromore’s handled complaints about abuse that stretched back to the early 1970s.
She opened up for the first time about her brother being “sadistically” abused for years by Fr Finegan at St Colman’s College, Newry, saying priests scared victims into secrecy.
Finegan was a teacher at and later president of the prestigious grammar school between 1973 and 1988.
The sadistic priest, who died in 2002, was accused of sexually abusing 12 boys there and in Clonduff Parish where he was transferred after St Colman’s.
Mrs Mcaleese’s brother Clem Leneghan, 49, appealed to those who knew what happened to him and others to contact the authorities.
He said: “While Finegan himself can no longer be called to account in the courts, I know that other adults both in St Colman’s and more broadly within the Dromore Diocese, knew of his activities and failed to act. Gentlemen, you know who you are.”
Dr John Mcareavey resigned as Bishop of Dromore after it was revealed he had concelebrated mass in public with Finegan in 2000.