10 girls claimed they had been sexually molested

Fr James Grennan (deceased):In 1988, 10 girls alleged they had been sexually molested by Fr James Grennan while he heard their Confessions on the altar in the parish church of Monageer.

The girls, aged 12-13, made the complaint to the principal of Monageer national school, Pat Higgins, who contacted the South Eastern Health Board. It in turn sent a social worker to speak to the girls, and then arranged for Dr Geraldine Nolan, director of the newly established validation unit in Waterford, to interview them.

Dr Nolan reported on May 5th, 1988, that Fr Grennan's actions in many cases had been going on for two or three years.

One girl, Olivia, said Fr Grennan would make her kneel in front of him "and he would put her hands on to his private parts and lick her jaw and stick his tongue into her ear whilst asking her about a particular commandment. This happened on a number of time and on a regular basis".

Dr Nolan spoke to the director of community care in the health board, Dr Patrick Judge, who called on Mgr Richard Breen who, as Vicar General, was representing Bishop Brendan Comiskey while he was absent from the diocese. Dr Judge demanded that Fr Grennan be removed immediately.

Bishop Comiskey returned to the diocese on May 28th. On the basis of the meetings with Mgr Breen and Fr Grennan and after consultation with the four deans of the diocese, Bishop Comiskey concluded that what was alleged to have occurred on the altar in Monageer could not have happened.

Before Bishop Comiskey's return, John Jackman, a Knight of Columbanus and a lay person "of some influence" in the diocese, was approached by a garda who was also a knight who suggested that Mr Jackman should try and contact Bishop Comiskey in an effort to move Fr Grennan out of the parish until after an impending Confirmation ceremony which "would defuse the situation and let the gardaí do their job".

In addition, a local garda - on the instructions of Chief Supt James Doyle - contacted Fr Grennan and suggested he should absent himself temporarily from the parish. Fr Grennan sought legal advice and although he did leave for a fortnight's holiday he returned before the Confirmation ceremony on June 20th, 1988.

Two families subsequently walked out of the Confirmation ceremony in protest.

Dr Judge reported the allegations to the gardaí on May 5th. Gardaí took statements from the girls involved and also from the social worker.

The inquiry criticised the health board for initially interviewing the girls together in a classroom - a move which "might have jeopardised subsequent prosecution". The inquiry also noted "no follow-up services were offered to the children involved".

Of the Garda response, Supt Vincent Smith, who retired from the Garda in 1989, told the inquiry he was not satisfied there was sufficient corroboration to justify further action in the case. He added that he was reluctant to prosecute Fr Grennan and thought it would only damage the complainants further. He accepted that he should have sent the file to the DPP with a recommendation not to prosecute rather than take that decision himself.

Supt Smith said prior to this decision he showed the children's statements to Chief Supt Doyle who handed them back without comment. Supt Smith said he had no idea what became of the statements and was adamant that he did not dispose of them.

Chief Supt Doyle said he never saw the file, the statements or a health board report on the matter which was "in conflict" with Supt Smith's recollection.

The inquiry said it believed the response of the Garda was "wholly unsatisfactory" and it regretted the report was not forwarded to the DPP.

Fr Grennan died on May 9th 1994, aged 61. The following day a 13-year-old local boy took an overdose and was admitted to hospital.

On May 30th, the boy disclosed to his mother that Fr Grennan had molested him.