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	Killaloe Priests Donate Thousands to Diocese By Gordon Deegan Irish Times December 23, 2011 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1223/1224309420930.html THE PRIESTS of the Catholic Diocese of Killaloe have paid more than ˆ340,000 to shore up the diocese’s finances. Accounts for 2010 and 2009 published yesterday show that the priests in the diocese have contributed ˆ343,913 to its coffers over the two years. The accounts also show that an individual – who wishes to remain anonymous – donated ˆ100,000 to the diocese in 2009 in response to its financial troubles. The accounts also disclose further payments to victims of clerical sex abuse in 2010 and 2009 totalling ˆ428,162, bringing to ˆ2.24 million the sum paid by the diocese since 2003 to victims of sexual abuse. The priests’ contributions arose from the global financial crisis as Killaloe had, before the crash in 2008, relied on dividends from shares, mainly in banks, to fund its operations. Priests have an annual salary of between ˆ22,000 and ˆ27,240. On average, over 2010 and 2009, each of the 90 priests in the diocese contributed ˆ3,821. The move comes against following the collapse of the diocese’s income from investments and dividends. In 2008, ˆ468,521 was generated from its investments, representing 42 per cent of its income. Last year, investment and dividend returns had plummeted by 89 per cent to ˆ50,988. In a statement accompanying yesterday’s accounts, Bishop of Killaloe Dr Kieran O’Reilly praised the priests for “contributing extremely generously from personal funds a total of almost ˆ172,000” in 2010. Parishes across the diocese have also responded to the church’s financial troubles by increasing their total contribution from ˆ559,725 in 2008 to ˆ812,050 in 2009 and ˆ795,595 last year. This resulted in the diocese recording a surplus of ˆ93,941 in 2010 compared to a deficit of ˆ22,403 in 2008. One of the priests to contribute, Fr Brendan Quinlivan, said yesterday that the priests “were very happy to play their part. They have responded very generously.” He said the contributions followed a request from former bishop Dr Willie Walsh that priests contribute in response to the drop-off in investment income.
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