Priest considers action over bishop’s remarks

THE priest at the centre of a dispute between the Vatican and the diocese of Cork and Ross is reportedly considering legal action against the Bishop John Buckley over comments he made about him, particularly about a firearm conviction he received.

Father James Davern, the former curate at Glenville/Watergrasshill parish removed from ministry in 2003 by Bishop John Buckley, was reported on RTÉ yesterday to have revealed he was taking action over comments made by the Bishop on Wednesday.

In particular, Father Davern is unhappy that the bishop said: “A long list of highly publicised incidents of conflict between Fr Davern and parishioners arose in successive parishes. These included a court conviction in 1999 for threatening use of a fire-arm against a member of the faithful.”

RTÉ reported that dispute was over an inheritance which Father Davern received from a member of a person’s family and it resulted in conflict which allegedly involved the threat of the use of a firearm.

Father Davern appeared in court in Clonakilty District Court on March 2, 1999, when his address was given as the Presbytery, Glenville. He appeared on charges relating to a series of incidents at Barleyfield, Kilbrittain, on March 2, 1997. He was convicted on a charge of production of an article in the course of a dispute or fight.

He was fined £25 and ordered to pay £82 expenses.

On a separate charge of using threatening and abusive behaviour on the same date, the matter was taken into consideration with no penalty imposed.

Meanwhile, on reports of claims of child sexual abuse on Father Davern when he was at Farranferris Diocesan College in 1963, a Church spokesman yesterday said there was no sexual element to the claims which were made by the priest to the gardaí, only that he was physically assaulted.

“The only thing reported to gardaí, as far as we are aware, was an allegation of physical assault and it did not involve a child. It involved a person over 18 years of age,” he said. “It was referred to gardaí who sent a case to the Director of Public Prosecutions and he did not take any action.”

Gardaí confirmed a file was sent to the DPP in relation to the investigation, but would not reveal whether there was any sexual element to it.

There was no reply at Father Davern’s house at St John’s Terrace, Old Youghal Road, Cork City, yesterday.