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THE CRIMES OF Fr Brendan Smyth, one of the first Catholic priests to be outed as a paedophile in the early 1990s, are being focused upon this week by Northern Ireland’s Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry (HIA).
In a statement read before the inquiry this morning by Junior Counsel Joseph Aiken in Banbridge, Co. Down, Fr William Fitzgerald, of the Norbertine Order to which Smyth belonged, said that the notorious abuser “ought never to have been ordained”.
Fitzgerald confirmed that “warning signs had surfaced” as to Smyth’s nature prior to his ordination.
This pattern of behaviour to maintain his freedom to do as he chose was already apparent while in formation.
Fitzgerald maintained that from his knowledge Smyth was “a very intelligent man”.
On reflection it is clear that he used that intelligence and naked cunning to engineer circumstances in which to abuse children, and also to intimidate and oppose the efforts of those who sought to confront him and restrict his activities
I am of the view that, while he never held any significant position within the church, he had a significant presence and influence with which he silenced and ridiculed those who would oppose him.
The inquiry also heard this morning that Smyth told a doctor in 1994 that “it could be that I’ve sexually abused between 50 and 100 children”.
Speaking for the arch-diocese of Armagh, a Fr Toner said in a statement, again read by Junior Counsel Aiken, that the “greatest single failure” of a 1975 inquiry into allegations of abuse against Smyth was that the diocese failed “to report these matters to the civil authorities in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland”.
The diocese would accept that the failure of Bishop (Francis) McKiernan to report these matters to the civil authorities was a significant failing on his part.
Given that it is now known that Brendan Smyth was a compulsive paedophile, it is clear that the matter should have been reported to the civil authorities in the jurisdictions where the children he abused lived also.
The inquiry will concentrate on an examination of what opportunities existed to prevent Smyth carrying out the abuse of children, and whether or not the failure of the Church’s hierarchy to prevent that abuse constitute systemic failings.
This current phase of the inquiry (the sixth following the inquiry’s establishment in 2013) is expected to last a week.
It is being chaired by retired British High Court judge Sir Anthony Hart.
Fr Brendan Smyth Timeline:
Connect is available this week to provide free telephone-based counselling to anyone impacted by the focus of the HIA inquiry in Northern Ireland on Brendan Smyth.
Connect provides professional telephone based counselling and support to survivors of abuse at freephone 1800 477 477 from the Republic of Ireland and 00800 477 477 77 from Northern Ireland and the UK.
Further information at www.connectcounselling.ie
Connect is funded by the HSE.
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The attitude of the Government is appalling. Swing low sweet chariot…
@Me Darlin’ Dublin: They want to know what everyone does but they don’t want anyone to know what they do as in brown envelopes, lobbying and whos pals of whom…
@Me Darlin’ Dublin: just get rid of the deluded Regina Doherty, save a fortune, clueless
So the tax payer picks up the tab for the legal fees for all sides of this case… sure you might as well let it run for a few years so… no rush.
@Ciaran Adamson: After the next election anyway if not before Xmas?
Something has not surfaced yet that FFG are determined to bury..
If FF were a separate party , they would have pulled these yokes out a long time ago. Fact is FFG are one and all in it together and we accept it not only but endorse it at the polls…
Pay for your food Leo.
What is in the full Report about the PUBLIC Services Card that the PUBLIC not allowed to see? Government had a draft of this Report noting concerns since 2018 so had sufficient time to respond!
Is the plan to delay releasing Report until after a General Election?
So expert state body uses powers against state and state dept and jumped up minister’s and head civil servants know better!!! Sounds about right! The state of it! Stop trying to better brexit for ridiculousness!
These people must be removed from office ASAP
@@mdmak33: Have you got a method for that, just joking as you know the flock here, they’re all sheep?
On the one hand it’s seems stupid to be required to have a card to access stuff you could already access without a card. If they want to introduce a National Identity card, they should do that, and stop the subterfuge. The collection of stat and the need to prove negatives is making everything a pain in the arse. The underlying motivation seems to be that everyone is trying to commit fraud, launder money and or cheat and must prove in ever increasing circles of hell who they are, where they live and whether they really are who they say they are when they want to pay a bill for example. Apparently there are loads of people pretending to be me and trying to pay my ESB bill, or something.
On the other hand I am sick of data protection, which is causing problems insisting on protecting innocuous information for ridiculous reasons that have to do with a conflation of ideology and an apparent belief that all electronic information is somehow useful to fraudsters and charlatans because data in and of itself has a value.
I wonder would the old phone book be outlawed under the Data Commission?
No joined up thinking or common sense appears on either side.
@Gerard Carthy: I get you Gezza, I really do, now if I could just have your mother’s maiden name please and I’ll get that bill paid for you! And it was Glanmire you went to school and blue still your favourite colour. Good man.
It’s too big to stop, the cost goes beyond 60 million, it includes the integration cost of each new service by each department i.e. passport that must now stop. This is the new p-powers. It will come in over 100 million.
I look forward to seeing these parasites getting the Labour treatment and consigned to where they belong…
The bin of history.
Even their trolls,shills & hacks want f all to do with them.
Boom!
It’s sad that you delete perfectly valid comments. It would be understandable if it were lies, or foul-mouthed. Sad state of affairs in this country; if our journalists actually critiqued our government then posters wouldn’t have to.
I hope she goes to town on them
Never got one but I’m still working and contribute my tax so what’s the importance of them? Not like the system is gonna be wiped! I like old fashioned keep your Pps number to yourself! Stops false passports etc
Glasnost and Perestroika! An initiative of the government of Ireland!
What’s this “sensitive information” they’ve got on the PSC? I’ve asked. But nobody seems to know. And the reason they don’t know is – there isn’t any. Seems everyone here thinks an unelected bureaucrat should be allowed to order a democratically elected government around!
@Paddy Murray: well said!
@Paddy Murray: What “democratically elected government”? FG was in a coalition gov. with the Lab party in 2011. In GE 2016 Lab got wiped out and FG lost 26 seats. If ever two parties lost any mandate to govern that was it. Yet here we are 2019 and FG are in power, a minority government propped up by a secret backroom deal with a party FF who are duty bound to oppose and hold the FG minority government to account.
Both parties have thumbed their noses at democracy and accountability. Engaged in forcing policies they have no mandate for.
Given the lies FG have told, the Corporate friendly policies they force on the people, the numerous scandals in health, the Gardai, the Moriarity findings, homelessness, housing, vulture funds, cuckoo funds, water,etc. the country is being ruled by a Plutocratic Dictatorship were rule of law means nothing.
All that stands between you and a Fascist Dictatorship is that “unelected bureucrat.
@Paddy Murray: You don’t like it when government is held to account? Interesting!
About time someone started to stand up to this Government.
I wish they would change that picture. Fed up of looking at her everyday
D’ya know what’s be GAS craic altogether? A statement from our Minister for Data Protection Pat Breen on where he sits with all of this – will he be backing his colleague Regina Doherty and the government on this challenge, or the DPC defending the rights of us citizens?
I don’t understand all the furore over this. The point of the card is that your proof of address, PPSN, proof of identity etc are all in one place, so you don’t have to go rooting around for various documents. Which can actually be a nightmare now, as most bills etc are electronic, with no hard copy. Seems very useful to me. Maybe I’ve misunderstood it, feel free to correct me.
As regards our data, we’ve all handed over our data to FB and Twitter so we can come on here for a moan. They’re using it to send us dodgy ads and influence elections and referenda. At least the government can use it to adjust public services to maximize their impact. And if they try to influence elections and referenda, hopefully they have our best interests at heart. Cambridge Analytica et al definitely don’t.
@Daniel Lehane: you are incredibly naive if you think this government is going to use your personal, sensitive information for your benefit. Take the cost, add the cost of the investigation, now of the appeal and eventually the fine that will come with it. Definitely for your benefit…
It doesn’t matter if it’s the Irish gov, Facebook, google or yer man down the road that is risking your info… if you want to give all your personal information feel free but don’t lump us all in with you. Some of us actually hold privacy in high regard.
@Artugal: You are incredibly cynical if you think the government is out to get you. And incredibly naïve if you think they don’t already have it. You’ve replied to my comment on social media, they know an awful lot about you, fake profile or not. The investigation and what follows is a necessary process to clear up the new GDPR laws. They haven’t been tested yet. Privacy was the price we paid for the internet. If it is of such concern to you, and everyone else that I didn’t lump anywhere, you should consider not using it. Or the bank. Or anywhere else you have to sign your name.
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