Priest: People carrying 'deadly secrets' about Limerick violence

A Parish Priest in Limerick has hit out at individuals who he claims are carrying “deadly secrets” about a number of violent incidents and disappearances in the city.

Speaking on RTE radio Fr Pat Hogan, PP of Southill said that despite the fact efforts are being made to improve life for people in his community “last year there were four killings in our parish.”

He was speaking after one of the victims of the violence Jeffrey Hannon (aged 19) was buried.

In addition Fr Hogan said, “there are people who are missing, are presumed dead and their bodies have never been recovered,” he said.

He said that there are individuals walking around the city that he claimed are carrying “deadly secrets” about these and other incidents.

“There are families who would love to know where their missing loved ones are,” he said.

There are people live in the same community as others who know where the remains are buried. He described this situation as “very difficult.”

He said that one person is gone about eight or nine years while another Richard “Happy” Kelly is gone almost two years.

“There is never any peace for their mothers and their families. These people continue to be crucified,” he said.

He said that he was moved by the mothers of the missing men, who are continually waiting for news of their loved ones.

That wait and pain endured by these families, he said, was “disturbing.”

“Can you imagine the anxiety, pressure and the heartbreak they are under?” Fr Hogan said.

Fr Hogan also hit out of the use in some of the media of the phrase “known to the Gardaí.” in relation to Jeffrey Hannon (19) who was murdered in Limerick almost two weeks ago.

He said that such phrases tends to isolate or place people in a “different category or world” from everybody else.

Fr Hogan said that while in Jeffrey Hannon case it was corrected that he was known to the Gardaí as being a very good guy and very loveable.

“Sometimes we also tend to isolate communities as well,” he added.

Fr Hogan said that while people tend to think that nothing good can come from these communities that reality is that they contain people who pay their taxes, work hard, rear their children and live very good lives.

He said that there are great signs of resurrections, with the work that is currently being done in Southill and that a lot of its problems are being addressed.

“There is a new energy coming into the area, and there is a lot of hope that things will change,” he concluded.