More than 300 allegations of sexual abuse across 32 schools in County Cork are detailed in a new report into historical sexual abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders in Ireland.
The scoping inquiry, which found that 42 religious orders had combined records of almost 2,400 allegations of sexual abuse at 308 schools across the country, reported that the most sexual abuse in County Cork is alleged to have taken place at a special school in Glanmire.
The inquiry reported 166 allegations of sexual abuse against 50 alleged abusers at Brothers of Charity Lota School in Glanmire, while there is nine allegations of sexual abuse against two alleged abusers at St Mary’s in Rochestown, another special school run by the Brothers of Charity.
The report also disclosed 42 allegations of sexual abuse against 4 alleged abusers at Missionaries of the Sacred Heart-run Coláiste an Chroí Naofa post primary school in Carrignavar.
In the north Cork region, the report disclosed four allegations of abuse against two alleged abusers at Christian Brothers-run primary school Mitchelstown.
There was two allegations of abuse against two abusers at Charleville CBS primary school and one allegation of abuse against one alleged abuser at the CBS secondary school in the town.
Three allegations of abuse against two alleged abusers were reported at the primary level CBS in Doneraile while one allegation of abuse against one alleged abuser at the Christian Brothers secondary school in Doneraile was disclosed.
One allegation of abuse against one alleged abuser was reported at Fermoy CBS (secondary school).
One allegations of abuse against one alleged abuser was reported at De La Salle Mallow secondary school while allegations of abuse were also made at the Patrician Brothers St Patrick’s National School in Mallow.
One allegation of abuse against one alleged abuser at De La Salle BNS Macroom was disclosed in the report.
Elsewhere in County Cork, nine allegations of sexual abuse were alleged against four alleged abusers at Midleton CBS (primary).
There was seven allegations of abuse against four alleged abusers at Youghal CBS (primary) and two allegations of abuse against two alleged abusers at Discalced Carmelites St Therese College post primary school in Castlemartyr.
There was three allegations of abuse against three alleged abusers at Scoil Ioseaf Naofa in Cobh.
In Cork City, there was 19 sexual abuse allegations against 10 alleged abusers at North Monastery CBS (secondary) and eight allegations of abuse against five alleged abusers at the CBS primary school in North Monastery.
16 allegations against five alleged abusers were reported at Blarney Street CBS (primary) and there was five allegations against three alleged abusers at Sullivan’s Quay CBS (primary).
There was three sexual abuse allegations against three alleged abusers at Christian Brothers Cork secondary school and two allegations of abuse against one alleged abuser at Sullivan’s Quay/ Deerpark CBS (secondary).
Eight allegations of abuse against five alleged abusers were disclosed at Presentation Brothers St Josephs National School in the city.
The report detailed five allegations of abuse against three alleged abusers at Presentation Brothers Scoil Chriost Ri (now Bunscoil Chriost Ri) and four allegations of abuse against four alleged abusers at Presentation Brothers Scoil Mhuire Na Ngras National School in Greenmount.
One allegation of abuse against one alleged abuser was reported at Presentation Brothers Coláiste Therese in Greenmount.
One allegation of abuse against one alleged abuser was also reported at Presentation Brothers Coláiste Mhuire Douglas (which no longer exists) and while a single abuse allegation against one alleged abuser was also disclosed at Presentation Brothers College Cork.
There was one allegation of abuse against one alleged abuser at Congregation of the Presentation Sisters South Presentation Primary School and one abuse allegation against one alleged abuser at the Presentation Sisters North Primary School.
One allegation of abuse against one alleged abuser was disclosed in the report at Religious Sisters of Charity St Vincent’s Primary School on St Mary’s Road in Cork while two allegations of abuse against three alleged abusers was reported at Ursuline Secondary/Boarding School in Blackrock.
In addition to the information supplied to the inquiry by religious orders, participants in the report who disclosed their horrific experiences of abuse at schools named other schools in Cork as locations where they were abused.
These included Coláiste Íosagáin in Baile Bhuirne, Cork Christ the King at Turner’s Cross in Cork City, Cork Scoil Mhuire Fatima on North Monastery Road in Cork and Cork St. Aloysius Girls School in Carrigtwohill.
The report, which was written by senior counsel Mary O’Toole, contacted 73 religious orders that ran, or are still running, schools in Ireland.
Over 40 had records of historical sexual abuse allegations, across 22 counties in Ireland. The report said that sexual abuse happened between the 1960s and the early 1990s, with the highest number of reported incidents occurring in the early to mid-1970s.
The records also reveal a troubling “high” prevalence of alleged abuse in special schools, with 17 special schools recording 590 allegations involving 190 alleged abusers
The allegations were made against 884 people – many of whom were priests or teachers in positions of trust, with constant access to vulnerable children.
Over half of those accused in the ¬religious orders’ records are now dead. The overwhelming majority of allegations relate to the sexual abuse of boys.