People pull no punches over prelate

IF people power existed in the Catholic Church, the fate of Cardinal Desmond Connell as the most senior figure in the Irish hierarchy would already be sealed.

Locals in the cardinal’s backyard of Drumcondra overwhelmingly called for his resignation yesterday over his handling of child sex abuse scandals involving paedophile priests.

A large majority of people questioned by the Irish Examiner within a quarter mile of the Archbishop’s House on Lower Drumcondra Road were critical of the cardinal’s failure to report members of the clergy to the civic authorities.