Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
1951-1994 · 43 years · show in timeline

Ireland, Northern Ireland, USA 1951 to 1994: Father Brendan Smyth abused children for over four decades; his order and dioceses did not report him, and a 14-year-old victim had to swear secrecy

The state Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry in Northern Ireland examined in 2017 the case of the Norbertine priest Brendan Smyth. Ordained in 1951, he abused children for over four decades in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Britain and the USA until his arrest. He was convicted of 43 offences against 21 children in Northern Ireland and 74 against 20 children in the Republic of Ireland; he himself said it could be hundreds. His order was warned before his ordination, moved him on after incidents in Wales, Scotland and Rhode Island, concealed this from the new dioceses and never reported him. In 1975 three priests, among them the later Cardinal (John) Brady, questioned a 14-year-old victim without his father and had him swear secrecy.

Period
1951-1994 (43 years)
Country
Ireland, United States, United Kingdom
Institutions
Norbertine Order
Kilnacrott Abbey
Diocese of Kilmore
Diocese of Down and Connor
Category
Sexual abuse, Cover-up
Level of evidence
A Primary source · what does this mean?
Persons
Brendan Smyth (Norbertine priest, convicted of 117 offences against 41 children, died in prison in 1997)
Brendan Boland (victim of Smyth at fourteen, sworn to secrecy in 1975)
John Brady (Cardinal Brady) (in 1975 as a priest recorded the questioning, later Cardinal and Archbishop of Armagh)

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

  1. Brendan Smyth entered the Norbertine Order in 1945, was ordained in 1951 and died in 1997 as a priest in a prison in the Republic of Ireland. Until his arrest and sentencing in 1994 he abused an unknown number of children. He was convicted of 43 offences against 21 children in Northern Ireland committed between 1964 and 1984 and of 74 offences against another twenty children in the Republic of Ireland committed between 1967 and 1993. He admitted on several occasions that he did not know how many children he had abused, saying it could be hundreds. Among the victims were children in the homes Nazareth House and Nazareth Lodge in Belfast.
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 1
    „He was ordained a priest in 1951 and remained a priest until his death in 1997 while in prison in the Republic of Ireland.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 1. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 1
    „Although he was convicted of 43 separate offences against 21 children in Northern Ireland for offences committed between 1964 and 1984, and a further 74 separate offences committed against another twenty children in the Republic of Ireland for offences committed there between 1967 and 1993, he admitted on a number of occasions that he did not know how many children he had abused, saying that it could be hundreds.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 1. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 2
    „three related to children who were in Nazareth House in Belfast, and five related to children in Nazareth Lodge“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 2. Original · Archive copy

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. In March 1975 fourteen-year-old Brendan Boland from Dundalk reported the abuse by Smyth. The Bishop of Kilmore had him questioned by three priests; one of them, Father John Brady, later Cardinal and Archbishop of Armagh, took the record. The father had to wait outside, and the boy was alone with three priests. He was asked, among other things, whether he "never got to like it". At the end he had to swear to talk to no one about the interview except authorised priests. According to the inquiry, this effectively silenced the boy, so that he could not even confide in his parents. During the questioning the names of other children who had travelled with Smyth came to light; the diocese did not inform the authorities in Belfast.
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 62
    „alleged to FBS 48 that he had been subjected to sexual abuse by Fr Smyth“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 62. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 62
    „Fr Brady is now Cardinal Brady, Archbishop Emeritus of Armagh“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 62. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 62
    „FBS 50 asked the questions, and the questions and answers were recorded by Fr Brady.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 62. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 63
    „Brendan Boland was a fourteen-year-old boy left alone in a room with three priests.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 63. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 63
    „he was then asked “you never got to like it”, to which he replied, “no”.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 63. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 63
    „“that I will talk to no one about this interview except authorised priests.”“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 63. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 64
    „it also ensured that this child was effectively silenced at the time, rendering him unable to discuss the events with his parents“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 64. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 111
    „Failing to inform the civil and ecclesiastical authorities in Belfast about what had, or may have happened, to the two named children from Belfast.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 111. Original · Archive copy

What happened to those affected?

  1. Brendan Boland later wrote in a book about the questioning that in his mind's eye they were old men in black and, if they made any effort to be non-threatening, they failed. The question about liking it put the blame and the shame back on him. Cardinal Brady accepted before the inquiry that the father should have been present and that some of the questions now made him cringe in horror.
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 63
    „“In my mind’s eye they were old men in black and, if they made any effort to be non-threatening they failed.”“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 63. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 63
    „Again, I felt it put blame back on me; the blame and the shame.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 63. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 63
    „Cardinal Brady agreed that some of the questions now made him cringe in horror.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 63. Original · Archive copy

Background

Response of the Church

  1. According to the inquiry, the Norbertine Order permitted Smyth's ordination despite a clear warning from the Abbot General. After incidents in Annan (Scotland), North Wales and Rhode Island, from where he was sent back in disgrace in 1968, the abbot did nothing to keep him away from children. The order took deliberate decisions to withhold his background from the dioceses to which he was sent, among them Providence and Fargo in the USA, left him his car, with which he abused children in many homes and places, even after he was charged in 1991, and never reported him to police or social services.
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 111
    „Permitting Fr Smyth’s ordination despite a clear warning from the Abbot General that Fr Smyth should not be ordained.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 111. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 29
    „Clearly Fr Smyth had been sent back to Kilnacrott in disgrace.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 29. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 33
    „this had been the third time Fr Brendan had been involved in sexual deviant activities“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 33. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 111
    „Taking deliberate decisions to withhold information about Fr Smyth’s background when he was sent to other dioceses.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 111. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 111
    „Deciding not to withdraw his access to a car, thereby enabling Fr Smyth to travel freely and abuse children in many homes and locations in both Northern Ireland and the Republic, even after he had been charged by the police in 1991.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 111. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 111
    „Failing to report Fr Smyth to the police and social services in either Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, thereby preventing him from being prosecuted and convicted, and so enabling him to continue his abuse.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 111. Original · Archive copy
  2. The inquiry also finds systemic failings by the Dioceses of Kilmore and Down and Connor: they did not report the allegations to police and social services, did not institute penal proceedings, did not warn other dioceses and did not exert sufficient pressure on the abbot to take Smyth out of circulation.
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 111
    „Failing to warn other dioceses, and in particular the Diocese of Down and Connor, about the allegations so that they could take steps to protect the children in homes in their diocese from being abused by Fr Smyth.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 111. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland, Kap. 10, Abs. 111
    „Failing to report the allegations against Fr Smyth to the social services and the police in Northern Ireland when they were received by the Diocese.“
    Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth, Kap. 10, Abs. 111. Original · Archive copy

See also

Original documents to read

  1. Government report
    Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Northern Ireland: Report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Volume 3, Chapter 10: Module 6, Father Brendan Smyth. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 30 Oct 2026)
Change log (1)

The change log is kept in German only.

  • : Aufgenommen

Last changed on 30 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.