Forristal was ordained a priest in 1955 after studying philosophy and theology in Ireland and Rome. He subsequently held a series of administrative and pastoral roles in the Dublin archdiocese before becoming an auxiliary bishop in 1980 and bishop of Ossory in 1981.
He was regarded as a highly capable and meticulous administrator and played a significant role in restructuring the Dublin archdiocese in the 1970s, and in preparations for the visit of Pope John Paul II to Ireland.
A major part of Forristal’s later career centred on the Church’s response to clerical child sexual abuse.
In 1994-95 he chaired the committee that produced Child Sexual Abuse: Framework for a Church Response, published in 1996, but the framework was subsequently criticised as inadequate and misleading about reporting obligations.
His own handling of abuse cases was later examined by the Murphy and Cloyne investigations, which identified serious failures and delays.
Forristal acknowledged these failures, making him virtually unique among the Irish episcopacy. He retired in 2007 and died in Kilkenny in 2018.
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The recent new entries also include John Daniel Alexander Robb (d. 2018), surgeon and peace activist, and Dolores O’Riordan (d.2018), musician and singer-songwriter.