Gaa Not Told of Complaint against Priest, by Claire O’Sullivan, Irish Examiner, August 6, 2011

Gaa Not Told of Complaint against Priest

By Claire O’Sullivan
Irish Examiner
August 6, 2011

http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/gaa-not-told-of-complaint-against-priest-163426.html

THE GAA says it was never informed by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart that complaints of sexual abuse had been lodged against one of the Cork county selectors and he continued to work with them for 11 years after the initial complaint.

Fr Donncha Mac Carthaigh, a former principal of Colaiste an Chroi Naofa in Carrignavar, was a member of the Cork county team management from the late 1970s until 1997.

However, by 1986 the first of seven child sexual abuse complaints had been lodged with the order against him.

A Cork County Board spokesman said last night: "Fr Donncha Mac Carthaigh was a member of team managements of Cork GAA minor (under 18) and under 16 age group teams in various years from 1979 to 1997. Throughout that time we were not made aware of any concerns regarding Fr Mac Carthaigh by any statutory authority or by his employers or order."

Fr Mac Carthaigh stepped aside as principal of Carrignavar after the initial complaint in the late 1980s.

In 1996 he was put on restricted ministry. Last year, the order applied to the Holy See to have him laicised.

Meanwhile, a second former boarder at Carrignavar has revealed he received an out-of-court settlement from the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 2009 after he lodged a civil case against Fr Mac Carthaigh.

The West Cork man, who attended the school from 1975 to 1976, complained to the order of being "repeatedly raped" by the teacher.

Management at Scoil na nOg mixed boarding school in Glanmire — where Fr Mac Carthaigh trained underage teams in the mid-90s — also confirmed they were never told of previous complaints against the priest.

"We have found no reference to any complaint from any student or parents to suggest Fr Mac Carthaigh behaved towards them in an inappropriate manner at our school.We are aware that a single complaint was received by the gardai, not by this school, in mid-1997.

"Immediately the board of management determined that Fr Mac Carthaigh would have no further involvement in school activities," a spokeswoman said.

The GAA also said that "at no time has anybody made a complaint to us regarding Fr Mac Carthaigh’s role with any of the minor and under 16 teams or in any other sphere".

The Sacred Heart Missionaries could not be contacted last night.