A cardinal, several bishops and gardaí face damning criticism tonight over revelations a serial paedophile priest was free to abuse for 16 years.

VICTIMS support groups and clerical sex abuse victims have accused former Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin Dermot O’Mahony of questioning the validity of the Murphy report and said that if this attitude is widespread within the Church, it will never be a safe place for children.

A SERIES of strongly worded letters between Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and a former auxiliary bishop of the Dublin Archdiocese are pointing to deep divisions among clergy in the archdiocese over the fallout from the Murphy report.

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

CHARACTER evidence by a local priest on behalf of a 35-year-old convicted sex offender was dismissed by presiding Judge Donagh McDonagh at the Circuit Criminal Court, in Tralee, yesterday.

THE Pope and the heads of the Irish Church did not discuss directly the resignations of any of the bishops during their meeting in Rome, according to Cardinal Séan Brady.

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.

ONE of the bishops strongly criticised for failing to deal with clerical child sex abuse in Dublin resigned from his position as president of the Irish Pilgrimage Trust yesterday.

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

Pressure was mounting tonight for the resignation of senior clerics who shielded paedophile priests to protect the reputation of the Catholic Church.

CATHOLIC Church authorities in the Dublin Archdiocese covered up allegations of child sexual abuse over many years in order to avoid scandal and to protect the good name and assets of the institution, the Murphy Commission has concluded.

The Catholic hierarchy in Ireland was granted immunity to cover up child sex abuse among paedophile priests in Dublin, a damning report revealed today.

HISTORIAN Kieran McCarthy could be shaping Cork city’s future if he is, as predicted, in the final shake-up for the extra new seat in the city’s largest ward.

THE location of a proposed €220 million container terminal should be known by Port of Cork directors next October and the possibility of reapplying for permission to build it in Ringaskiddy has not been ruled out.

THEY were all shapes, sizes and colours — grey, white, piebald, chestnut brown and black — and that was just the fellas selling the horses.

THE Dublin City and County Book of Honour of the Great War 1914-1918 was part of the homily at 11am Mass in the Pro Cathedral, Dublin, on Sunday, November 14.

WATERFORD WEDGWOOD yesterday bought the Cork-based Cash’s and Shannon mail order business from Fairway Investments Limited for €22.04 million.