There is increasing pressure on the three remaining Bishops named in the Murphy report to resign.

The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin James Moriarty has offered his resignation to the Pope today.

Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin James Moriarty has resigned this afternoon.

There is speculation today that a second bishop criticised in the Murphy report is about to resign.

The country’s Catholic hierarchy faced further damage tonight after an under-fire Bishop clashed with a colleague over a sickening child abuse scandal.

New guidelines today have been launched for people working with children in care that address criticisms in the Ryan Report.

Primary Schools Principals are today calling for the bishops named in the Murphy report to resign their positions as school patrons.

The Archbishop of Dublin said today that he believes Bishop Donal Murray did the right thing by resigning.

A second Bishop is signalling he will resign in the wake of the Murphy Report.

Pope Benedict today accepted the resignation of a under-fire Bishop of Limerick Dr Donal Murray over his “inexcusable” mishandling of a child sex abuse case.

Bishop of Limerick Dr Donal Murray will address church-goers today as speculation intensifies that he has offered his resignation.

Dr Donal Murray is expected to resign as Bishop of Limerick later today

According to reports tonight the Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray has resigned.

The Council of Priests of Dublin's Catholic Archdiocese will meet tomorrow for the first time since the publication of the Murphy report.

TThe Dublin diocese is looking to appoint a new director, responsible for safeguarding children.

It looks increasingly likely that the Bishop of Limerick will have to be forced from his position.

A spokesperson for the Bishop of Limerick has said Dr Murray is remaining in Rome to await developments concerning his future.

The Pope has been criticised for his response to the Murphy Report into the cover-up of child abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese.

The Pope has apologised for the behaviour of Irish priests who sexually abused children and then had their actions covered up.

The murder of an innocent schoolgirl almost four decades ago was tonight being investigated in the wake of two harrowing reports into the cover-up of clerical abuse.

Pope Benedict XVI today has expressed his "profound regret at the actions of some members of the clergy".

The country's most senior Catholic clerics are due to meet the Pope today to discuss fall-out from the child abuse inquiry in the Dublin Archdiocese.

The country's most senior Catholic clerics are due to meet the Pope tomorrow to discuss the fall-out from the child abuse inquiry in the Dublin Archdiocese.

Irish Catholic bishops tonight asked for forgiveness over the Church cover-up of paedophile priests.

Catholic bishops are being urged to finally admit to their role in a systematic cover-up of child sex abuse.

The Pope’s Ambassador to Ireland today said the Vatican was ashamed by the devastating findings of a damning inquiry into clerical sex abuse in Dublin.

The Papal Nuncio to Ireland says a response on the findings of the Murphy report on clerical sex abuse can be expected from the Pope.

Cardinal Sean Brady and Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin have been summoned to the Vatican to discuss the findings of the Dublin Archdiocese clerical child sex abuse report.

A retired bishop who mishandled clerical child sex abuse cases tonight resigned as head of a charity.

The Minister for Children Barry Andrews has said he is not surprised pressure is being placed on the Bishop of Limerick to resign.

It is understood the Bishop of Limerick is in Rome for talks on his future.

The Bishop of Limerick has today asked his parishioners to pray for him as he considers his position.

The Bishop of Limerick says he is reflecting on the decision he now has to make and has asked mass goers for their continued prayers - especially this week.

The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland is to meet with the Pope to discuss a damning investigation into clerical child abuse.

A group that campaigns for church accountability will deliver an open letter to the Pope today, calling for a thorough inquiry into the failures of bishops to protect children.

Papal nuncio Archbishop Guiseppe Leanza has been asked to attend a meeting with the Foreign Affairs minister Micheál Martin at Iveagh house next week.

A leading theologian is calling for all bishops named in the Murphy report to resign immediately.

The Catholic hierarchy was today facing a damaging rift after a bishop publicly clashed with a senior colleague over the inexcusable mishandling of child sex abuse.

The Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin is to write to the bishops named in the Dublin Diocesan report into child abuse to tell them he is not happy with some of their responses to the inquiry.

Brian Cowen tonight defended the Vatican’s refusal to deal directly with an investigation into paedophile priests in the Dublin diocese that has shocked the country.

The Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has refused to back calls for bishops named in the Murphy report to be removed as patrons of schools.

The Government has started drafting legislation to allow the use of so-called "soft information" for vetting people working with children.

The Papal Nuncio in Ireland is defending his decision not to respond to a draft report from the Commission of investigation into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.

A Catholic Bishop criticised in a sickening report on the Church’s mishandling of clerical child sex abuse in Ireland was tonight given the full backing of priests and Mass-goers in his diocese.