The former bishop of Galway, Dr Eamonn Casey, is understood to have confirmed that there were complaints of sexual impropriety by Mgr Michael Ledwith towards junior seminarians at St Patrick's College Maynooth in the 1983-84 period.
Sources indicate that Dr Casey, then a trustee at the college, agreed in talks with the Birmingham investigation during the summer that such complaints had been made then.
In a letter to this newspaper on May 31st last the former Catholic primate, Cardinal Cahal Daly; the retired archbishop of Tuam, Dr Joseph Cassidy; the retired bishop of Derry, Dr Edward Daly; and the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, Dr Colm O'Reilly - also among the trustees at St Patrick's College in 1983-84 - denied claims that there had been such complaints from seminarians then about Mgr Ledwith. Rather, they said, concerns had been expressedabout his "extravagant" lifestyle.
An investigation, conducted by Mr George Birmingham SC, was set up in April by the Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, to establish the best form of inquiry into how complaints of clerical child sex abuse were dealt with in Ferns diocese.
On May 31st the current trustees at St Patrick's College Maynooth said, concerning Mgr Ledwith, that in 1994, before his departure as president there, allegations "pertaining to the sexual abuse of a minor" had been made against him. In 2000 there were further allegations by a former student.
It is believed Mr Birmingham decided to investigate the Ledwith story as the monsignor was a priest of the Ferns diocese. It is understood he spoke to most of the senior seminarians involved and some relevant bishops.
In a statement published on July 27th, Father Gerard McGinnity, a former senior dean then at Maynooth, said that in the last term of the 1983-84 academic year, he was summoned to meet Bishop Casey on these matters.
A discussion took place about Mgr Ledwith's behaviour. This followed representations made to college authorities by Father McGinnity on behalf of the seminarians who had held unsuccessful meetings with nine trustee-bishops about Mgr Ledwith's behaviour towards junior colleagues. The seminarians then sought Father McGinnity's help.
Shortly after his meeting with Bishop Casey, Father McGinnity was persuaded to take a sabbatical year, after which he was refused permission to return to Maynooth. He was appointed curate in a rural Armagh parish instead.
In a brief statement last week Father McGinnity accused the Ireland on Sunday newspaper of putting words in his mouth on the Ledwith controversy in an article published on October 27th.
"At no point did I refer to Cardinal Connell despite repeated attempts by an interviewer to bring this about," he said.