We may well admire the whistleblower in the abstract but the organisations we, and they, belong to, are more primitive in their reactions, writes Mary Morrissy

Three religious orders, including notorious paedophile Fr Brendan Smyth’s Norbertines, have shown no “real change from their historical behaviour” in terms of safeguarding children.

IT’S nearly 30 years since Albert Reynolds’s government fell over a controversy around the paedophile, the Norbertine Brendan Smyth. The intervening decades have been marked by one scandal after another, one excoriating report on child abuse after another.

The emergence five years ago that senior clerics in the Catholic Church were fully aware of the abuse by Brendan Smyth in 1975 means three of his victims should get a new hearing of their damages claims, the Supreme Court has been urged.

When Pope John Paul II elevated Desmond Connell to the archdiocese of Dublin in January 1988, he was far from being the first choice.

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Veronica Guerin’s black and gold Mont Blanc pen makes for a poignant exhibit at the Journalists Memorial in the Newseum museum of news in Washington.

EVEN in a society forced to come to terms with, or at least confront, the active evil represented by aggressive and protected paedophiles Seán Fortune and Brendan Smyth — both Catholic priests, both deceased — the idea that a vulnerable, mute child should have been left in a foster home for more than 13 years after that home became the focus of sexual abuse allegations has the capacity to shame and outrage.

Clerical sex abuse survivor and papal representative Marie Collins said she was glad there would be an inquiry over the failure by the gardaí to act on information it had in 1973, about paedophile priest Brendan Smyth.

The Norbertine order of priests, in Ireland, was ruined not by the poisonous legacy of Brendan Smyth, but in letting him be ordained against well-founded advice.

Victims of paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth are to take legal action against the gardaí. The move follows revelations that officers in Dublin knew about his sex abuse in the early 1970s.

YESTERDAY, two events dealing with abuse inflicted on the vulnerable, one at either end of the island, one historical, the other contemporary, brought into question our ability to learn from our mistakes. 

The response to child sex abuse allegations was totally inadequate and ineffective, the former head of the Catholic Church in Ireland has said.

Paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth threatened to punch another cleric when warned to stay away from altar boys, an inquiry has heard.

An entire branch of Sinn Féin has resigned from the party after the expulsion of one of its councillors, Thousands of mourners have gathered to pay their respects at the funerals of Berkeley victims, the FAI has issued a statement this afternoon dimissing claims it accepted bribes not to injure Lionel Messia during the opening game of the Aviva Stadium. Here’s this evening’s irishexaminer.com catch-up.

Paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth found peace with god, an inquiry has been told. In a letter written in 1995 after his conviction for sexually assaulting more than 40 children in the North, the west Belfast-born priest said he hoped his victims could also find solace. He had lashed out at the media for adding to their distress.

A notorious paedophile priest told a doctor he had sexually abused hundreds of children, an inquiry heard.

OWNER-occupiers are to the fore in inquires about warehouse units priced from €100,0000 to €600,000, according to specialists, Lisney, saying the range of offers at Little Island Cork shows a pick-up in activity.

THE two reports on the sexual predations — and perversions — of the late paedophile Jimmy Savile published yesterday are a shocking reminder of what can happen when position and authority are misused to protect criminal behaviour.

Some Catholic religious orders are still failing to adequately protect children against sex abuse 20 years after the scale of the problem became evident.

A Catholic religious order has accepted notorious paedophile priest Brendan Smyth abused children while they were in the care of nuns in the North, a lawyer told a public inquiry yesterday.

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Seán Brady, the leader ofthe Catholic Church in Ireland.

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Sean Brady, the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

ON radio yesterday morning, Olivia O’Leary, who chronicled his era in power as a political reporter, recalled the time she danced with Albert Reynolds. He was, she said, a great dancer.

You could, if you wish, remember Albert Reynolds as the man who wrecked two governments. Or you could remember him as the man who built the peace process.

Albert Reynolds was triumphant when the Beef Tribunal presented its final report in 1994, its 580 pages containing bizarrely benign conclusions about the key players under its scrutiny.

From battles in the Dáil to peace in the North

THOUGH his term of office as Taoiseach was one of the shortest, the contribution made by former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, who has died at the age of 81, to the making of an enduring peace on this island will go down in the pages of Irish and British history as one of the most important achievements of our time.

I should like to put on the record my opinion that although the sexual abuse of young children by Father Brendan Smyth was undoubtedly criminal, the concealment of those crimes by Cardinal Sean Brady was evil.

The Irish representative on the Vatican’s new child protection council said "it would have been better" for the survivors of abuse by Brendan Smyth if Cardinal Sean Brady had resigned two years ago.

BRIAN Purcell has taken a bullet for the State twice in his career. Once, when he was near the bottom of the pile, as a young official in the Department of Social Welfare, he refused payment to an applicant for the dole. That claimant was the notorious Dublin gangster, The General. Purcell was kneecapped for his troubles.

'Sworn to Silence' a recollectuion of the clerical abuse of a boy, reflects on blame and shame in 1970s Ireland, says Dan Buckley

Victims of a notorious paedophile priest have been barred from taking further legal action against the Catholic Church because of an earlier settlement.

A Catholic Bishop has urged the High Court to stop him being sued by a man who received £25,000 (€30,341) after settling his Northern Ireland court action over being sexually abused as a child by paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth.

The Christian Brothers have said that "they deeply regret" the hurt caused by their response to abuse allegations which resulted in only 12 brothers being convicted of crimes in the past 38 years.

ABOUT 2,300 glasses of Baileys are consumed every minute of the day across the world.

The controversy regarding the possible ex-communication of TDs who vote in favour of legislating for the X case raises some questions.

THE Catholic Church is unlikely to employ me as a communications advisor, so this pithy pearl of wisdom is on the house — step away from the microphones, Cardinal Sean Brady.

The cleric set to become the next head of the Catholic Church in Ireland has pledged to work to heal the wounds of those who have lost trust in the institution.

Monsignor Eamon Martin has been appointed assistant bishop in the Archdiocese of Armagh, as Cardinal Sean Brady plans to retire as head of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

The Pope will announce the successor to the head of the Catholic church in Ireland Cardinal Sean Brady today.

MAY