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Protest at the National Seminary of Ireland in Maynooth.

category dublin | crime and justice | news report author Saturday January 23, 2010 09:44author by John Ayres

Protestors joins the EGM of Bishops at the National Seminary of Ireland, Maynooth.
First protestors at National Seminary of Ireland in Maynooth.
First protestors at National Seminary of Ireland in Maynooth.

Protestors set up at the gates of the National Seminary of Ireland in Maynooth. In the tranquil surroundings of the College in Maynooth, protestors were treated to a fine sunny day to convey their message to the Bishops and the Irish People that much more has to be done. Many of the Bishops had stayed over night at the college for the EGM, only a few Bishops drove to the meeting at 11.30am.

Kevin Flanagan, Rob Mangan and John Ayres arrived bright and early to greet the Bishops arrivng, Brendan Butler joined the protest with his poster. A man from Carlow drove up to Maynooth to represent his wife who had been abused by the Church.

Eamon Martin Sec.Bishops Conference came out to the protestors to convey the Bishops request to take messages back to them from the protestors. He took only 2 messages, one from Brendan Butler and one from John Ayres.

It was a quite and peaceful protest mostly until the Media arrived which gave the impression of a frenzy. RTE, BBC Northern Ireland, Press and Radio (Local and National) descended on the few protestors to interview them, which they glady agreed to. Upto that point the protest was inconspicuous.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin had gone out shopping during the lunch break but was apprehended on the way back at the gates of the college. Kevin Flanagan confronted Archbishop Diarmuid Martin on the issue that the abuse by priest was a crime and should be seen in this light. Kevin requsted that Archbishop Diarmuid Martin make a statement to the press after the EGM to state that "abuse of Irish children and withholding information from the Garda was a crime"

The media desend on the protestors at the National Seminary of Ireland in Maynooth.
The media desend on the protestors at the National Seminary of Ireland in Maynooth.

Kevin Flanagan being interviewed by RTE.
Kevin Flanagan being interviewed by RTE.

Eamon Martin comes out to protestors to bring back messages to the Bishops.
Eamon Martin comes out to protestors to bring back messages to the Bishops.

Comments (13 of 13)

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author by kevin flanaganpublication date Sun Jan 24, 2010 14:24author address author phone

I would like to thank John Ayres for reporting the story the way it happened. Arcbishop Diamuid Martin was asked to give a statement to the press after the EGM to say that "It is a crime to withhold information to a crime regardless of what crime it is". The media were given a written statement instead of an interview.

author by Martpublication date Mon Jan 25, 2010 02:08author address author phone

The pictures and report tell it well. An effective protest has been made by victims. The voices of victims have been swamped by the recent flood of intensive media comment, so it's important that victims and their relatives keep to the forefront of the publicity.

author by kevin flanaganpublication date Mon Jan 25, 2010 03:11author address author phone

thanks mart we plan to continue to take them on face to face we will be there when ever we can to let them know that they have to be brought before a court of law for there crimes

author by John Ayrespublication date Tue Jan 26, 2010 08:37author address author phone

More photos of the protest at National Seminary of Ireland, Maynooth, where the Bishops EGM took place.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin & Kevin FLanagan outside NUI Maynooth.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin & Kevin FLanagan outside NUI Maynooth.

Press and Media at NUI Maynooth
Press and Media at NUI Maynooth

Protestors and Media
Protestors and Media

Eamon Martin taking messages to the Bishop
Eamon Martin taking messages to the Bishop

Students at NUI read posters
Students at NUI read posters

author by johnnyboypublication date Tue Jan 26, 2010 23:37author address author phone

fair play to ye,keep at them..........

author by kevin flanaganpublication date Wed Jan 27, 2010 07:30author address author phone

thanks jonny for the commet we are going no where they are on the run we may be small in numbers but our spirits are strong feel free to join us any saturday at the gpo thanks again for your commet

author by trevorpublication date Wed Jan 27, 2010 12:46author address author phone

It’s good to see students were reading the posters , John ..Before Christmas we wrote to the FEE student organization at Maynooth about the protest we were planning for Christmas Eve outside the Department of Education .

“We would particularly like to see groups involved in opposition to education cuts involved .The government is currently cutting off money for education and the situation is very likely to get a lot worse . We could find ourselves going back to nineteen-fifties conditions .Under such circumstances a rebranded sanitized church could come along and offer its services as educators again . We should take warning from what is going on in America and the UK where schools are being taken over by private charitable institutions . “

We got no reply from FEE at the time and have had have had no response since. We do not know whether FEE is still an active group in colleges, but are anxious to work with any groups opposed to education cuts .

author by John Ayrespublication date Mon Feb 01, 2010 12:49author address author phone

Saturday 30-01-2010 saw an increase of signatures at the stand at the GPO O'Connell St. Dublin.

Many more signatures are needed to express the feelings of people, to the true horror of the abuse carried out by the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland. The stand will be there every Saturday 12pm - 4pm. Come along and sign, have a chat with us.

We are all victims of this abuse in one way or another and have no other affiliation with other groups or organizations (Political or Religious). Our purpose is to bring about an International Criminal Investigation into the abuse carried out by the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland.

We are concerned at the response of the Church to reveal details to the Garda for criminal investigation.

We now have a web site you can visit for more information and links to relevant stories and reports from the media about the Reports.

Related Link: http://kevinflan.proboards.com./index.cgi
author by trevorpublication date Tue Feb 02, 2010 17:52author address author phone

Yes , the response on Saturday was brilliant . The breathtaking arrogance of the church hierarchy and the government's role in covering up for perpertartors of crimes against children , is leading many people on the street to the conclusion that they may have to take matters into their own hands . Survivors of abuse we spoke to on Saturday are extremely angry at the lack of criminal prosecutions of clerics , and regard the Ryan Report -which doesn't even name clerical abusers- as a whitewash .

Fr Patrick Hughes of Park Drive Court, Castleknock, in Dublin, 83 was today imprisoned for a year after pleading guilty to indecent assault charges against an altar boy. The offences occured in the seventies and eighties. Sentencing Hughes , Judge Mary Delahaunt said it took a long time to bring him before the court because of delays caused by 'persons who were shielding you'.The Court was told that the Catholic Church authorities gave gardaí 'the run around' when they were investigating the whereabouts of Fr Hughes .

The fact that the church was actively shielding criminals like Hughes in Ireland as recently as 2003 , allowing him to live unhindered in the UK until the gardai tracked him down in 2007 begs the question : how many more like him are out there ? The church's attitude in treating child abusers as sinners rather than as criminals allows the likes of Fr Hughes to live in denial of the terrible harm they have inflicted upon vunerable children down the years .

Hughes praised his superiors in the church before being led away from the dock saying that he had been “rehabilitated” through their benevolence and through a programme he had attended in Maryland USA. . His rehabilitation programme appears not to have led to any recognition on Fr Hughes’ behalf that he is a paedophile. He insisted before the court that he was sexually attracted to altar boys but was not a paedophile .

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0202/hughesp.html

author by robbie mpublication date Wed Feb 03, 2010 15:23author address author phone

Retired bishop wilie walsh stated in a newspaper article that the roman catholic church has made tremendous progress over the past twenty years in dealing with the child abuse issue.
Yet, it took twelve years for the police to find the priest patrick hughes who was jailed for a meagrely one year on four counts of indecent assault against an alter boy between 1979 and 1983.
It is known that the church were sheltering him all this time.
Patrick hughes may have expected some relief from his listeners when he stated that he only had a thing for alter boys!!!!!! however, what we do not know for certain is how exacly many alter boys he did abuse.
2010 and they are still covering up on a large scale.

author by religious predatorspublication date Thu Feb 04, 2010 09:49author address author phone

"He insisted before the court that he was sexually attracted to altar boys but was not a paedophile . "

You are not a paedophile until you act on your urges. Then you definitely ARE a paedophile

This priest definitely acted on his urges ergo he ceratinly is a paedophile.

He should have got a lot longer sentence for molestring a kid. 1 year is a complete joke for this offence.

Plus ca change. They are still at it and still just getting a slap on the wrist for it.

author by Captain Blake - The Wrongs of the Catholic Churchpublication date Thu Feb 04, 2010 16:37author address author phone

Well done Kevin. Good photography also.

Hope you are feeling well after that dedicated week with no food outside the GPO before Christmas.

Absolute power corrupts and power corrupts absolutely or something to this affect.

People must stand accountable and it is now the time to ask members of the Church to come forward and make the necessary legal statements about crimes committed under their auspices.

The Boston Globe (well worth reading their book on Betrayal and the Catholic Church) kicked to touch on this topic over a decade ago. It is time for the Irish to do some piggy backing on US research and findings and look to the Church for financial reparations.

It is said that in 1997 the Catholic Church land values were worth IR 1 billion. We know a lot of this land was sold. Where did the money go? I would suggest it is gone to the Vatican bank yes it left Ireland.....if so, who has the money now.

Kevin I am coming back to the word you used that has really made me think - you spoke about the sanitisation process. You are right, religious orders have become cameleons and have reappeared in places like All Hallows focus on say a different type of education and also places like Maynooth.

Then there is the powerful Opus Dei at Lismullin - a benefiary of the FAS betac education grants etc. They are also supposed to be providers of student accommodation on University campuses. I ask and my reason is well founded 'at what cost to the beneficiary'. I suggest it is in return for secrecy and life time commitment.

One more question. By comparison to child sexual abuse, it may be secondary but does anyone share with me the power of the church to grant an annulment to a 15 year marriage; after the state has granted one a divorce in court and in favour of a husband who left the marriage for an affair with another woman (children as proof of relationship) inspite of the critical ill health of his wife of 15 years.

The Church usurped the woman's status and the question is was Opus Dei the driver in preference to the new adulterous relationship rather than the commitment the marriage vows are supposed to represent.

Kevin. I have written to Archbishop Martin etc. etc. They choose not to hear. I applaud your persistance.

The words of Jonathan Swift come to mind only the meaning is in reverse. The Church okay have the knowledge but they are blind. Swift said 'Give Vision to the visionless'

Where did the money go? Is it in Switzeland or Lichtenstein or even the Virgin Islands. Or maybe just maybe, you get a good return for hidden funds at the Vatican bank.......

I wholly endorse this.

Captain Blake

author by Erin - Morality and imminent bankruptcypublication date Fri Feb 05, 2010 13:06author address author phone

Kevin

Well done. I can assure you that you will get support from a lot of people. I notice on today's papers that a lot of priests are 'coming out' in defiance of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.

Martin is a seasoned campaigner with a background of many years working in accountancy in the Vatican bank. The road ahead will be very long and hard but with as the song goes "A little help from my friends', your journey of pain and denial will soon come to a conclusive and healing, I hope, end. In the meantime, keep up the campaign because now your articles are being read by many people who are willing to put their heads out and help you.

The very best of luck

Erin

The above posting is very well written and Trevor it gives you a fair guide of the moral barometer within the people of Ireland right now.


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