THE parish priest who was jailed for eight years for sex abuse looked relaxed in court yesterday and joked with relatives as he was led away.
The tall man, with greying hair, stood to attention as his sentence was passed. With his hands crossed in front of him, he looked directly at the bench as Judge Cyril Kelly said he had targeted vulnerable young men and used his position as a priest to continue his paedophile crimes.
The 48 year old priest was dressed in a black suit, blue shirt and wine coloured tie. Immediately after sentencing, he was led away. As he left, he chatted and smiled at friends. None of his victims were in court.
Yesterday, the Bishop of Ossory, Dr Laurence Forristal, said he was deeply distressed at the hurt inflicted on the young people by the parish priest. "A serious wrong has been done and I express my profound regret to the victims and their families. They are our primary concern and we owe them our special pastoral care.
"I recognise that the realisation of the priest's abuse will be a source of great pain to the parishes in which he has served, to his family, to his fellow priests and to the people of the diocese.
"I pray that in time the hurt of everyone who may be affected by these events will be healed, especially of the young people who have been abused."
He said the priest had been removed from all ministry in the church as soon as his offences came to light. "I am conscious that imprisonment will be a very difficult and painful experience for him.
"As the guidelines which have been put in place in the Catholic Church in Ireland make clear, the response to child sexual abuse must be founded on an acknowledgment of the grave wrong done, and must have the safety and welfare of children as its first and paramount concern."