A Donegal parish priest has defended his decision to give a reference to a school teacher saying the former teacher never admitted he was a paedophile when he asked him for a character reference. Fr Michael Sweeney of Gweedore was criticised in a new book for giving the reference to convicted paedophile Denis McGinley who was sent to prison in 2002 for sexually and indecently assaulting boys over a 17-year period.
He told local media he wanted to "clarify" references to him in Breaking the Silence' a newly launched book written by a retired garda, Martin Ridge.
The book details the investigation and subsequent convictions of three Donegal paedophiles including Denis McGinley.
It also claims that Fr Sweeney gave McGinley a "glowing reference" while knowing he was a paedophile.
But at the weekend, the priest said there were a number of factual errors in the book referring to him and the most serious allegation relates to the reference he gave.
"I gave a reference on my dealing with this teacher as I knew him when he worked with me on Tory in the 1960s," he said.
"Denis McGinley never admitted his guilt to me before I gave him the reference,” Fr Sweeney explained.
“I would never have given the reference knowing that McGinley was a paedophile,” Fr Sweeney stressed.
He said he had initially addressed the issue generally from the pulpit locally when the contents of Mr Ridge’s book emerged but now wanted to address the controversial issue of him providing a reference for McGinley.
Fr Sweeney is a former Donegal Person of the Year.
Denis McGinley, who was unmarried and 63 at the time of his sentencing, pleaded guilty to a sample 21 charges from a total of 115 involving 11 victims between ages of 8 and 11.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce