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	Faced Intimate Questions during Interview Process By Anne Campbell The Argus December 8, 2011 http://www.argus.ie/news/faced-intimate-questions-during-interview-process-2956550.html FRIGHTENED and alone, and aged just 14, Brendan Boland went into a room at the Friary in Dundalk and faced some shocking and intimate questions about his sexuality and sexual experience during an inquisition into his allegation that he had been abused by paedophile priest Brendan Smyth. Mr Boland's voice cracked with emotion as he revealed the story RTE Radio. Mr Boland and his father were brought to the meeting at the Friary by Fr Oliver Mcshane, in whom the teenager had confided about the abuse. But his father was not allowed to join his son in the room, with Fr Oliver Mcshane and Fr Francis Donnelly ( later Monsignor), both of whom the teen knew, and a third priest whom he had never met before. Recalling the meeting, Mr Boland said Fr Donnelly asked most of the questions. When he found out his dad wasn't allowed into the meeting room, Mr Boland said he felt 'really alone and scared'. The interview started with questions about 'general background and general stuff ' before he was asked about the abuse Smyth had subjected him to. Mr Boland said he couldn't really remember what was asked of him in the interview until 2010 when his legal team was given the transcript of the March 1975 meeting. Mr Boland said: 'When I saw that, I was really disgusted by the questions. They asked about my body, how was it changing and did I know the meaning of the word erection'. He was also asked if he had engaged in sexual activity with men before and did he ever feel like doing it with anyone else. Mr Boland told the priests that he had never done anything like this, he didn't like it and didn't know if it was right or wrong because it was with a priest. After the interview was completed, Mr Boland was given a hand-written piece of paper to sign which said: ' I, Brendan Boland', swear that I have told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth and I will talk to no-one about this interview except authorised priests'. The teenager signed it at the bottom of the page. The document was co-signed 'Fr John B Brady', the third priest who was taking notes at the meeting, now better known as Cardinal Sean Brady.
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