Bishop linked to attempt to block Cloyne report

EMBATTLED Bishop of Limerick, Donal Murray was last year linked to a controversial attempt by a Church body to prevent the publication of the damning Cloyne report into clerical sex abuse.

He was also the bishop whose diocese caused such anguish to abuse victim, Peter McCloskey that he died by suicide two days after attending mediation talks with Bishop Murray, his legal advisor, Diarmuid O’Catháin, a nun, a priest and a One in Four representative. Mr Mc Closkey’s mother later accused Bishop Murray and O’Catháin of “nailing [her son] to a cross”.

Bishop Murray is now under fire for what the Judge Yvonne Murphy report described as his “unacceptable” and “inexcusable” behaviour in failing to fully investigate allegations about Fr Tom Naughton made in Valleymount in 1983 and a failure to communicate these allegations after official complaints emerged from Donnycarney later on.