Brisbane pays €61k to victims of priest who lived in Cloyne

AN archdiocese that failed to inform Cloyne Diocese that a priest returning to Ireland on “health” grounds was the subject of two prior sex abuse claims has secretly paid out AUS$80,000 (€61,399) to his alleged victims.

A dual Irish Examiner and Australian-based Irish Echo investigation has confirmed that authorities in Brisbane made three payouts to alleged victims of a priest named “Fr Rion” in the Murphy Commission report, in addition to another Cloyne-related payment.

The Irish-born priest, who was ordained in Australia from 1933, retired to north Cork on “health” grounds in 1971.