Alliance Support Group


May 2010 Archives

Vatican to investigate sexual abuse in Ireland

 Monday, 31 May 2010 18:04 The Vatican is to launch an investigation in the autumn into clerical child sex abuse in Ireland. In a statement, the Vatican says four 'apostolic visitors will set out to explore more deeply questions concerning...
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Referendum of children's rights

Irish Times - Letters Madam, - One has to wonder whether the eight so-called child advocacy groups are joking in their call for a "children's rights referendum" (Front page, May 21st). They have been rightly critical of the State's behaviour...
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Allegations of child abuse in foster care

  JAMIE SMYTH Social Affairs Correspondent Mon, May 31, 2010 FORTY ALLEGATIONS of child abuse have been made against foster carers living in two local health office areas in Dublin. In three of the cases the carers had not undergone...
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Details of 50 child deaths prepared for review group

Sunday Business Post30 May 2010 By Susan MitchellDetails of the deaths of at least 50 children have already been prepared for the independent review group investigating the deaths of children in care. The figures pertain to children who were in state...
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'Children deserve better'

Sunday Pusiness Post 30 May 2010 By Susan MitchellConsultant psychiatrist Siobhán Barry has a better understanding than most of the workings of the country's health service. She sat on the board of the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) and the South...
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Incensed after reading Monsignor's parish letter

Sunday Tribune From Elaine Leddy I was so incensed when I finished reading John Downes' report (23 May) regarding Monsignor Leonard O Brien's words in his parish newsletter, that I felt compelled to pick up my pen. Sadly, however, I...
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Legal costs in abuse compensation cases now top €140m

  Ken Foxe, Public Affairs Correspondent LEGAL costs for settling compensation claims with victims of abuse in residential institutions have now risen to a €140.8m, according to the latest figures. Half a dozen solicitors' firms have each cleared more than...
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HSE under fire over deaths figure

  By Noel Baker and Shaun Connolly THE HSE has come under intense fire after it revealed 37 children had died while in care in the past decade, just a day after the Government said it believed the figure would...
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HSE orders probe into threats claim at charity

  By Jennifer Hough Saturday, May 29, 2010 THE HSE has ordered an investigation into alleged abuse and threats made by members of a charity for survivors of institutional abuse. Catherine Coffey, a founding member of the Kerry branch of...
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Legal 'smokescreen' is to protect State, not children

Independent.ie   By Dearbhail McDonald Legal Editor Friday May 28 2010 THERE is something faintly Kafkaesque about the Government's refusal to hand over material on the children who died in its care to the independent review group it established to...
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Priest found guilty of abuse of three sisters

Thursday, 27 May 2010 17:22 A Dublin-based priest has been convicted of sexually abusing three young sisters in Northern Ireland. Fr Eugene Lewis is the former provincial superior of the Society of Missionaries of Africa, better known as the White...
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Amnesty criticises Govt record on children

 Thursday, 27 May 2010 12:18 Amnesty International has accused the Government of failing to deliver on its promises to protect children's human rights. In its annual report, the human rights organisation expresses particular concern at vulnerable children being placed in...
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Call to include Bethany residents in redress scheme

  KEN MURRAY Thu, May 27, 2010 A GROUP has called on the Government to include former residents of a Protestant-run home in the redress scheme for victims of abuse. The Bethany House Survivors Group represents people who attended two...
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Flowers and teddies laid for 'forgotten' children

Independent.ie   By Michael McHale Thursday May 27 2010 THEY came to lay flowers, memorial cards and teddy bears. But, most importantly, they came to remember the children who had been forgotten. More than 30 former residents of a Protestant...
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A Long Fight and Still Fighting

Former Bethany House resident Derek Leinster attends a memorial service at the unmarked graves of 40 children from the home in Mount Jerome cemetery in Dublin today. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire...
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Launch of Bethany Survivors Group

  12 Noon Wednesday 26th May Assemble at entrance to Yew Walk (see ATTACHED photo)Directions after entry to Mount Jerome Cemetery, Harold's Cross Dublin:Walk up main avenue to church, go right around church and proceed straight on East Walk...
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"Goldenbridge Girl"

Irish Times, 1 May 1996, Letter from Ann MahrSir,I am a former "Goldenbridge Girl" I was in Goldenbridge Orphanage from 1955, age 2 weeks to 1965. I have nothing but happy memories of my childhood during that time. When I...
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Calls for state to investigate charity

By Jennifer Hough Monday, May 24, 2010 THE HSE is incapable of sorting out ongoing serious difficulties in a charity for survivors of institutional abuse so the Government must now step in, it has been claimed. Labour's Sean Sherlock...
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Former residents of Protestant home seek redress

By Jennifer Hough Monday, May 24, 2010   FORMER residents of a Protestant home for children and "fallen women" have reiterated calls for their abuse to The call comes following the discovery of a children's grave at the Bethany...
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Cork priest attacks women writers in parish bulletin

Sunday Tribune Monsignor claims anti-Catholic women writers who write for Sunday papers are 'most belligerent' John Downes, News Investigations Correspondent --> O'Brien: astonishing attack A senior Cork-based priest has launched an astonishing attack on "women writers" in Sunday newspapers who...
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SOCA members did not storm out of meeting

 Sunday Tribune From John Kelly In a story published on 16 May you reported that Irish SOCA "stormed out" of a meeting with Taoiseach Brian Cowen and other ministers at Government Buildings on 15 April. While serious disagreements emerged between...
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Light After Darkness - Sunday Tribune

--> June Jordan with her father Joe: 'Families like ours have borne the brunt of what our parents suffered'     'Dad has suffered from bouts of depression all his life and still drinks to forget and to sleep...
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O'Brien got €61k for abuse group

  John Downes, News Investigations Correspondent       Former mayor of Clonmel Michael O'Brien has received over €61,000 in the past eight years from the state to run his Right to Peace group for survivors of abuse. O'Brien,...
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Centre defends hiring of abusive former nun

  John Downes, News Investigations Correspondent Mark Condren --> Gerry Kelly: ostracised after he made allegations against Nora Wall --> Nora Wall: accused of abuse in Ryan report 1 2 new Control.Tabs('article_photos') The founder of the Cuan Mhuire centre in...
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Martin's speech taken in bad faith by media

  Fri, May 21, 2010 Coverage of the archbishop's spiritual statement focused only on elements useful to an anti-church agenda, writes JOHN WATERS  FOR 10 days I have absorbed as much as practicable of what has been written and spoken...
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An open letter to Cardinal Sean Brady

  Independent   Friday May 21 2010 As an ordinary Catholic, I would like to respond to your decision to remain on as leader of the church in Ireland. You say you have listened but have you really heard what...
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Mr. Justice Sean Ryan's Report - One Year On

Mr Tom Hayes 30 Castle Gardens Richhill Co Armagh BT61 9QL Telephone: 02838 871708 Mobile: 07974002336 Email: [email protected] Mobile: 0044 7974002336 11 May 2010       Sir,   It will be one year on the 20th May since Mr...
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Genuine reform and the church

  Thu, May 20, 2010 THAT GROUPS representing victims of clerical sex abuse should demand the resignation of Cardinal Seán Brady is understandable. It is beyond dispute that his failure in 1975 to report allegations against Fr Brendan Smyth to...
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Children in care - We have not learned from past abuses

Irish Examiner Thursday, May 20, 2010   If Government promises were enough to resolve our problems, we would probably have no problems, because the current Government has never been short on promises.   The problem is that so many...
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No funding to counsel sex abuse survivors

By Jennifer Hough Thursday, May 20, 2010 FUNDING which was to be made available to counselling services for victims of sexual abuse in the aftermath of the Ryan Report has still not been allocated to support groups one year...
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Church needs 'forces' of child protection supremo

          By John Cooney Tuesday May 18 2010 FOR the past week Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has caused many Catholics to scratch their heads about the "strong forces" not wanting the truth to emerge about the...
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Just a fifth of Ryan social workers in place

Independent.ie   By Edel Kennedy and John Cooney Thursday May 20 2010 FEWER than one in five of the 270 new social workers promised in the wake of the damning Ryan report on sex abuse have been employed. One year...
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Church renewal and radical change-Irish Times Letters

  Madam, - The 2009 annual report of the National Board for Safeguarding Children (Front page and Home News, May 18th) highlights the need for radical change requiring a major step away from the defensiveness of the past to a...
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Brady sad to hear of victims' criticism

  Cardinal Seán Brady after the Confirmation ceremony yesterday for students from Bellurgan, Rampark and Dulargy national schools at the Church of Our Lady of the Wayside, Jenkinstown, Co Louth. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill   DAN KEENAN, Northern News Editor,...
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Child guidelines must have legal force

Irish Examiner-Letters Wednesday, May 19, 2010   FOCUS Ireland welcomes the recent publication of the report of the Children's Ombudsman into the implementation of Children First: National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children. As one of Ireland's leading...
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Missionary the surprise choice to take over from Bishop Walsh

Independent.ie   By John Cooney and Gordon Deegan Wednesday May 19 2010 THE surprise appointment by the Pope of a Rome-based missionary priest from Cork to head the diocese of Killaloe was described by outgoing Bishop Willie Walsh yesterday as...
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Martin denies 'strong forces' speech was aimed at Pope

Independent.ie   By John Cooney Religion Correspondent Wednesday May 19 2010 THE Archbishop of Dublin has denied criticising Pope Benedict in a controversial speech last week, in which he warned that "strong forces" did not want the truth about the...
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Church abuse report marks tangible progress

  Tue, May 18, 2010 ANALYSIS: The work of the National Board for Safeguarding Children and its support by church authorities suggest a fresh commitment to truth, writes PATSY McGARRY  ON MONDAY of last week, in his much discussed address to...
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Church needs 'forces' of child protection supremo

Independent.ie   By John Cooney Tuesday May 18 2010 FOR the past week Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has caused many Catholics to scratch their heads about the "strong forces" not wanting the truth to emerge about the scale of clerical child...
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Adult survivors make 197 new abuse allegations

Independent.ie By John Cooney Tuesday May 18 2010 A TOTAL of 197 new abuse allegations by adult survivors were reported to the Catholic Church's national child protection office from April 1 last year until the end of March 2010. Of...
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Cardinal Brady committed to leading church 'renewal'

  Cardinal Sean Brady: has been under pressure to resign STEVEN CARROLL Cardinal Seán Brady tonight said he will lead the Irish Catholic Church on a journey of renewal but that he has asked Pope Benedict XVI to appoint a...
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Brady asks Pope to name next head of Irish church

Independent.ie   By John Cooney and Brian McDonald Monday May 17 2010 Cardinal Sean Brady is to defy calls for his resignation over his admission that he played a role in a cover-up 35 years ago involving infamous paedophile priest...
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A year after abuse report, we must support victims

Sunday Tribune From Tom Hayes It will be one year on 20 May since Mr Justice Sean Ryan published his long-awaited Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse Report. Time then to reflect and see what has happened to survivors and...
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'He used to pick on cute-looking boys'-Sunday Tribune

'He used to pick on cute-looking boys' The conviction of an ex-Marist brother on 35 counts of sexual abuse brought to a close the nightmare of St John's National School in Sligo, where four other staff members also abused children...
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'Just another report on another shelf'

  One year ago this Thursday, Justice Sean Ryan published the long-awaited results of his report into child abuse at church-run industrial schools and orphanages, where rape and abuse of children was found to be 'endemic'. As the anniversary approaches,...
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Survivors at loggerheads over denial of sex abuse-Sunday Tribune

  Christine Buckley questions Michael O'Brien's radio interview from 10 years ago John Downes, News Investigations Correspondent --> Michael O'Brien and Christine Buckley accept their People of the Year award from Gráinne Seoige last September Survivors of sexual abuse in...
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Archbishop Martin's too good a man to be a Catholic

Independent.ie   The tragedy is that the Dublin prelate should be the authentic voice of the church, writes Emer O'Kelly I WONDER how many of the men listening to the Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin last Monday night in...
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Church members must unite on child protection and reform

  BREDA O'BRIEN Sat, May 15, 2010 It would be wrong to deny there has been an important shift among Catholic lay people ARCHBISHOP DIARMUID Martin's recent wide-ranging speech on the future of the Catholic Church in Ireland reminded me...
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The future of the Catholic Church-Times letter page

  Madam, - While I sometimes dislike the style and abrupt manner of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, I am always a great admirer of his courage. But I find his latest address on child abuse within the Roman Catholic Church (Home...
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Martin should give credit where it's due

    By David Quinn Friday May 14 2010 SPEECHES by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin are often a bit like Rorschach inkblot tests. Different people read different meanings into them. None of his speeches to date have illustrated this better than...
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Bishop calls for Martin to clarify 'strong forces' claim

  By John Cooney, Edel Kennedy and Patricia McDonagh Friday May 14 2010 A senior bishop has called on Archbishop Diarmuid Martin to explain what he meant when he claimed "strong forces" inside the Catholic Church want the truth about...
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Church must practise what it preaches

  Independent     Thursday May 13 2010 Archbishop Diarmuid Martin continues to make remarks that mystify more than clarify his position. One truly wonders whose side is he on. With Maeve Lewis, One in Four, and the indomitable Bishop...
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Future of the Catholic Church-Irish Times Letter page

  Madam, - I take exception to the insulting tone of your Editorial (May 12th). It is a travesty to describe the many hundreds of thousands of still-faithful Irish Catholics as people "accustomed to being told to pray and pay"....
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Issues persist at charity despite HSE-brokered deal

By Jennifer Hough Wednesday, May 12, 2010 SERIOUS issues in the running of a Cork-based charity for survivors of institutional abuse still have not been addressed despite the warring parties signing a HSE-brokered agreement to do so. Following a...
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The future of the Catholic Church

  Madam, - Archbishop Diarmuid Martin deserves wholehearted support. Once again we hear the pain of struggle in what he has said in an address to the Knights of Columbanus on the future of the Catholic Church in Ireland. The...
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Issues for the Catholic Church

  Wed, May 12, 2010 ARCHBISHOP DIARMUID Martin did not pull his punches on Monday night when he spoke about the future of the Catholic Church in Ireland. His primary target was that narrow culture of clericalism in the church...
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Knights illuminated by cleric's thunderbolt

Independent.ie   By John Cooney Wednesday May 12 2010 AS a child and a teenager growing up in Dublin's Inchicore, the young Diarmuid Martin was notorious for his temper and for indulging in furious tantrums. But decades later, long after...
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Church board rejects Archbishop concerns

 By Claire O'Sullivan Wednesday, May 12, 2010   THE Catholic Church'sNational Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC) has said it has "no evidence" to suggest that child protection guidelines are not being adhered to in all dioceses across the country....
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Dioceses left with no sitting bishops after resignations

Independent.ie   By Edel Kennedy Wednesday May 12 2010 A NUMBER of dioceses do not have a sitting bishop thanks to some high-profile resignations in the past six months. Five sitting bishops who were named and criticised in the Murphy...
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Victims praise archbishop and call on Brady to resign

Independent.ie   By John Cooney, Edel Kennedy and Louise Hogan Wednesday May 12 2010 A PROMINENT victim of clerical child abuse last night renewed her call for Cardinal Sean Brady to resign before the end of the month. Survivor Marie...
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Martin 'disheartened' on renewal

  Archbishop Diarmuid Martin warned of 'strong forces' in the Catholic Church in Ireland that 'would prefer that the truth did not emerge'. Photograph: Julien Behal/PA Wire     PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid...
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Madonna House

Hello Alliance,I came by your website while entering "Madonna House, Dublin" into Google, and in particular an article in your "news & updates" dated February 6, 2008. I am a former resident of Madonna House, and I stayed there from...
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Discussion in the dioceses- Irish Times Letters Page

  Madam, - I refer to your report (Home News, May 4th) about a reduction in the present number (26) of Roman Catholic dioceses in Ireland. Dr Vincent Twomey thinks there should in future be just 12. This just happens...
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Investigate role of legal system in abuse scandals

Letter page- sunday tribune From Shane Lynch The role of our legal system and the judiciary in the events that gave rise to the Ryan report has been deliberately downplayed and, indeed, ignored. We now have major legislation winding its...
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Mater consultant still working with children during abuse probe

Sunday Tribune Martin Frawley --> Dublin's Mater Hospital A medical consultant in the Mater hospital who is under investigation for child sexual abuse has been allowed to continue working with children, the Sunday Tribune has learned. It is understood...
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Inside the mind of a paedophile- Sunday Tribune

  Described as the "Hannibal Lecter of the clerical world", convicted Irish paedophile priest Oliver O'Grady has admitted to sexually abusing at least 25 boys and girls in the US. He was jailed for 14 years in 1993 but was...
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