Within weeks of arriving in Fethard-on-Sea, Father Sean Fortune became embroiled in a battle for control of the village's community hall. This proved typical of the priest's approach during his six years there and in the other parishes he served.
"He was the greatest liar that I ever met, a horrible man," said Mr Sean Cloney, a local who clashed with the priest shortly after his arrival in June 1982.
After Mr Colm O'Gorman made the original complaint of sex abuse in February 1995, Mr Cloney helped the inquiry, giving the Gardai the names of more than 70 young people whom he knew had come into contact with Father Fortune.
Mr Cloney was chairman of the parish hall when Father Fortune arrived. "Out of courtesy I gave him a key to the hall and we offered him a place on the committee, but he wanted control.
"At a meeting we said he would be welcome to use the hall on certain nights when there were no other activities and things were flexible. Father Fortune got up and thanked us but said he could use the hall any night he wanted because it was `parochial property'. He said he had the deeds and would bring them to the next meeting, showing that the bishop owned it and he could run it," said Mr Cloney.
The deeds in fact stated that if all the trustees, bar one, died, the bishop of the diocese would take over the hall until such time that other trustees could be appointed to ensure it was not sold.
Later Father Fortune tried to put pressure on Mr Cloney who, at the next meeting, read out a statement which explained the developments and said that "an evil influence" had come into the parish. He adjourned the meeting so people could consider their position.
"But Fortune stood up and insisted that he wanted to speak, saying anyone that left was `defying the priest'." Half the members stayed and after that the committee was divided. An a.g.m. was called and notices were put in the local paper about an election of trustees because of the "confusion in the parish".
Then Father Fortune had the hall locks changed. He also wrote to the insurers and paid the next year's premium, saying he was in charge. "It all sounds so farcical now when I look back on it but it was typical of the way he operated," said another parishioner.
"The situation was complicated by the fact that Macra had booked a disco the following weekend and Fortune said he was holding his own there. He was also holding a dance in the local hotel at the same time."
A strategy was devised and Macra members waited for, who was bringing his equipment into the hall, opened open the door. They then set up their own table at the door to collect money. "Fortune, who always dressed in full soutane, came rushing up with this young clerical student who used to stay at his house. They told him he would have to pay if he went in. He turned away in fury saying, `A Catholic priest locked out of his own hall'. Back at the hotel he was raging and told the people there that the firstborn of the Macra people would be deformed," said Mr Cloney.
The committee then had the locks changed. A deputation went to the then Bishop of Ferns, Bishop Donal Herlihy.
During the meeting, the group offered to deposit the key with him until after the election. "He told us we were the lawful committee and that he had never sent `that man' into the parish to interfere. He banged the table then and said `God help him'. But nothing happened and Father Fortune then insisted he had been appointed administrator of the hall by Bishop Herlihy. He told people in the community to book the hall through him," said Mr Cloney.
A woman who told Father Fortune she wanted the parish priest, not him, to baptise her baby was apparently told "she would have no luck, the child would have no luck and would be deformed". "The woman was distraught. I brought that woman into Bishop Comiskey and related the events to him. He said he would do something within three weeks but nothing was done," said Mr Cloney.
Father Fortune also appointed a "chancellor" to cycle around the parish and collect dues from those who had not been paying. One parishioner was admonished for not returning the envelope and told he would be "levied" in future.
Mr Cloney remembers one family who began attending Mass in nearby Templetown rather than Poulfur. "I knew something was wrong. Then I heard that Fortune was messing with the young boy and everything fell into place. I mentioned it to a few people I could trust. I knew if I tried to do anything I would be sued. I had no evidence, nobody to stand behind me . . . It was so galling to see him getting the money off people and the rest of his carry on," said Mr Cloney.
Father Fortune left many bills and parishioners believe they may amount to almost £20,000. According to a local couple, he burnt all books relating to the parish's financial affairs before his departure. The couple say that when Dr Comiskey sent diocesan financial controller Mr Michael Murray (deceased) to the parish there was nothing for him to work on. But he did take charge of clearing the bills. The source of the financing of Father Fortune's legal battles over the past four years has also remained a mystery.
A couple wrote to the then Papal Nuncio, Dr Alibrandi, in July 1983 detailing what they now describe as the "strange carryings on by Fortune" (this was before Dr Comiskey's appointment). After a second letter, they received a response acknowledging the contact and stating that he was aware they had also written to Cardinal O Fiaich. "In any case I can assure that that the area of concern is being considered carefully by the Holy See," said the letter, seen by The Irish Times.
The couple then wrote to Dr Comiskey about Father Fortune's "extraordinary behaviour and pastoral scandal". They attached a list of points, covering a period of three years, made to his predecessor, the late Bishop Herlihy, requesting that an inquiry be held under canon law. Included in the list were public statements made by Father Fortune concerning Macra na Feirme members, "his financially motivated performances" at baptisms, weddings, house Masses, site blessings, board blessings, monuments, memorials. It also mentioned the "abuse of State funds" in youth employment schemes.
"When we went to see the bishop, we were given the clear impression that decisive action by way of inquiry would be instituted forthwith. Of course, nothing happened," said the man.