Priest allegedly sexually assaulted children while working at Galway youthclub and school

A Galway Jesuit priest has been included in a list of 15 named who have been accused of child abuse over the past 70 years.

Fr Michael McGrath (1910-1989) has had two complaints of abuse lodged against him from his ministry in Galway, the Jesuit Order revealed.

The first accusation referred to an alleged incident at Our Lady's Boys Club, while the second complaint referred to abuse at St Ignatius’ College, Galway.

The group investigating these abuse claims has said it's not aware of any allegations having been made against Fr Michael McGrath during his lifetime.

The working group consists of former Supreme Court judge John MacMenamin, Dr Rosaleen McElvaney PhD, Principal Psychotherapist in the Alders Unit at Children’s Health Ireland in Connolly Hospital and Registered Social Worker Paul Harrison.

These revelations come after an investigation into files relating to 37 Jesuit priests/brothers who are now deceased that had been the subject of child sex abuse allegations over the past 70 years.

The 15 priests and brothers named today are:

• Fr Rupert Coyle (1896-1978)

• Fr Shaun Curran 1924 – 1999)

• Fr Brendan Kearney (1935 – 2014)

• Fr John T Kelly (1906 – 1977)

• Fr Patrick Kelly (1920 – 2012)

• Fr Kevin Laheen (1919 – 2019)

• Fr Henry (Harry) Lawlor (1911-1989)

• Fr John A (Jack) Leonard (1912 – 1992)

• Fr Finbarr Lynch (1933 – 2022)

• Fr Michael McGrath (1910 – 1989)

• Fr Oliver Joseph O’Brien (1920 – 1994)

• Br Edward O’Sullivan (1920 – 1996)

• Fr Diarmuid Ó Péicín (1916 – 2008)

• Br Douglas A Pill (1918 – 2003)

• Fr James Stephenson (1906 – 1979)

All allegations reported so far have been shared with gardai. In a statement, the Jesuit Order apologised for their failings.

"Our approach was inward-looking, prioritising the interests of the Order.

In addition, inexplicably we often perceived the abuse from the perspective of moral failure as distinct from a criminal act.

These misguided considerations allowed individual Jesuits who had offended against children to avoid accountability for their crimes."

"Through allowing these Jesuits to continue in ministry we implicitly communicated the message that they were priests in good standing, with the result that people who had suffered abuse would have been reluctant to come forward out of the continuing fear of not being believed."

"Many of the adults who came forward with accounts of their childhood abuse experience did not receive the acceptance and compassion they deserved," it said.