Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
1962-2002 · 40 years · show in timeline

Abuse and cover-up in the Diocese of Ferns (Ferns Report)

The Ferns Inquiry set up by the Irish State found over 100 allegations of child sexual abuse against 21 priests of the Diocese of Ferns from the years 1962 to 2002. Until 1980 Bishop Herlihy treated abuse only as a moral problem, moved perpetrators temporarily and then reinstated them. He appointed accused priests as curates although a psychologist had clearly warned against it, and ordained men who were evidently unsuitable as priests. His successor Comiskey did not withdraw any accused from the priesthood either.

Period
1962-2002 (40 years)
Report published
25 October 2005
Country
Ireland
Institutions
Diocese of Ferns
Category
Sexual abuse, Cover-up
Level of evidence
A Primary source · what does this mean?
Persons
Donal Herlihy (Bishop of Ferns)
Brendan Comiskey (Bishop of Ferns)
St Aidan's Cathedral in Enniscorthy, cathedral church of the Diocese of Ferns
St Aidan's Cathedral in Enniscorthy, cathedral church of the Diocese of Ferns Image: Eirian Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0, Source

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

  1. The inquiry identified over 100 allegations of child sexual abuse made between 1962 and 2002 against 21 priests of the Diocese of Ferns. Six priests had died before allegations were made, three more afterwards.
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 2
    „allegations of child sexual abuse made between 1962 and 2002 against 21 priests operating under the aegis of the Diocese of Ferns“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 2. Original
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 2
    „Six of the priests had died before any allegations of abuse were made against them. Three more died subsequent to the allegations.“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 2. Original

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. Formal complaints were made against eight priests. The Director of Public Prosecutions brought charges in only three of six recommended cases; two ended in conviction, and in the third the priest took his own life before the verdict. From 2002, three priests were dismissed from the clerical state on the instructions of the Holy See.
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 3
    „The Director of Public Prosecutions directed the institution of criminal proceedings in only three of the six cases in which recommendations in that behalf were made by the Gardai. In two of the criminal proceedings, convictions were obtained. In the third case, the prosecution was withdrawn after the accused priest committed suicide.“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 3. Original
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 3
    „Three have been excluded from the priesthood by direction of The Holy See“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 3. Original

What happened to those affected?

  1. According to the inquiry, the Church, doctors and society failed to recognise the appalling harm caused by child abuse. The victims who testified were still heavily burdened by it decades later.
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 4
    „the Church authorities, the medical profession and society generally failed to appreciate the horrendous damage which the sexual abuse of children can and does cause. The Inquiry was struck by the hurt still borne by mature and fair minded victims who gave evidence before it.“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 4. Original

Witness accounts and records

Witness "Judy", abused by Canon Clancy in sex education lessons, before the inquiry

She told the Inquiry "I was a child when I went in to that room in that house but when I left I was not a child".

Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin: The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, Kap. 4.7.2, S. 105 (PDF-S. 119). Original

Background

Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)

  1. Bishop Comiskey withdrew priests from ministry only if he considered an allegation probably true. The report attributes this to the emphasis canon law places on the good name of the accused. Comiskey justified his support for a priest by the duty to forgive the sinner; the bishop was bound to treat all his priests with great kindness.
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, S. 45 (PDF-S. 59)
    „Having regard to the emphasis placed by Canon law on the duty to protect the good name of alleged abusers, it is not surprising that Bishop Comiskey should have taken this view.“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, S. 45 (PDF-S. 59). Original
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, S. 130 (PDF-S. 144)
    „Bishop Comiskey explained that he had a duty in charity to forgive the sinner but not the sin. He told the Inquiry that whatever about the secular world in which we live, the Bishop was bound to treat all of his priests with great kindness.“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, S. 130 (PDF-S. 144). Original

Who received the assets, who profited?

  1. Like most Irish dioceses, Ferns insured itself in 1989 against liability for sexual abuse by priests. After a dispute with the insurer Church & General, the bishops agreed in 1996 on a one-off payment of 4.3 million euros and invested it in the "Stewardship Trust". According to the bishops, by May 2005 this fund had paid 8.77 million euros in compensation to 143 people who had been abused by 36 priests.
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, S. 15 (PDF-S. 22)
    „The Inquiry is aware that Bishop Comiskey entered in to such an insurance policy in 1989“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, S. 15 (PDF-S. 22). Original
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, S. 48 (PDF-S. 62)
    „the payment of a single sum of €4.3 million for division among the Dioceses“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, S. 48 (PDF-S. 62). Original
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, S. 48 (PDF-S. 62)
    „the Stewardship Trust contributed to compensation settlements for 143 people in relation to abuse by 36 priests amounting to €8.77million“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, S. 48 (PDF-S. 62). Original

Response of the Church

  1. Between 1960 and 1980 Bishop Herlihy treated abuse by priests exclusively as a moral problem: he moved the accused to another post or another diocese for some time and then reinstated him in his old position.
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 2
    „Between 1960 and 1980 it would appear that Bishop Herlihy treated child sexual abuse by priests of his diocese exclusively as a moral problem. He penalised the priest in respect of whom the allegation was made by transferring him to a different post or a different diocese for a period of time but then returned him to his former position.“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 2. Original
  2. According to the inquiry, it was wholly inappropriate and inexplicable that Herlihy appointed accused priests as curates although a respected psychologist had unequivocally warned against their contact with young people. He also ordained clearly unsuitable men as priests although he knew or should have known of their propensity to abuse children.
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 2
    „What was wholly inappropriate and totally inexplicable was the decision of Bishop Herlihy to appoint to curacies priests against whom allegations had been made and in respect of whom a respected clerical psychologist had expressed his concerns in unambiguous terms as to their suitability to interact with young people.“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 2. Original
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 2
    „Equally inappropriate was Bishop Herlihy's decision to ordain clearly unsuitable men into the priesthood when he knew or ought to have known that they had a propensity to abuse children.“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 2. Original
  3. In almost every case his successor Bishop Comiskey took a long time before a priest vacated his post; in no case did he get an accused to step aside from his priestly ministry. The inquiry expressly criticises this.
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 2
    „In no case did the Bishop persuade or compel the priest concerned to stand aside from his priestly ministry.“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 2. Original
    Evidence: Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 3
    „does expressly criticise his failure to stand aside from the ministry those priests against whom allegations had been made“
    The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, Executive Summary, PDF-S. 3. Original

See also

Original documents to read

  1. Government report
    Ferns Inquiry (Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, Laraine Joyce), Government Publications Dublin: The Ferns Report, presented by the Ferns Inquiry to the Minister for Health and Children, 25 October 2005. Original (retrieved 12 Oct 2026)
Change log (3)

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Last changed on 22 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.