EDWARD Gallagher’s bishop has promised “it would not be tolerable” amid claims that the disgraced priest travelled to Central America and brought a teenage boy home with him.
Gallagher (59), who was a priest in Donegal, pleaded guilty last month to 109 sex offences and is now in prison for sentencing and the Vatican has been asked to defrock him.
This week, it was claimed that Gallagher took a teenager to Ireland live with him after he was a missionary in the country of Belize, which borders Mexico and Guatemala.
The Donegal News asked for a response from Bishop of Derry Michael Router and for the diocese to disclose if it was aware of the Belize claims previously.
Bishop Router said: “In response to the specific allegation now raised, the Diocese has no knowledge or record of Fr Gallagher bringing a minor from Belize to live with him in a parochial house following his return in 2003.
“An arrangement of the kind described would not be tolerable either then or now.”
He added: “Anyone with information or evidence relating to this allegation is urged to provide it to the relevant civil authorities so that it can be properly examined and investigated and to the Diocesan Designated Liaison Person.
“The Diocese remains committed to supporting those affected, maintaining the highest safeguarding standards and cooperating fully with the civil authorities.”
Gallagher was arrested after the action group Justice Reborn 2 confronted him outside a Derry restaurant on Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025.
The Donegal News was told by a man, who acted as a 14-year-old decoy for the social action group, that Gallagher contacted him – believing he was a young teenager – and used a fake name to ask for “hot pictures” and “barraged me with sexual chat”.
After Gallagher’s guilty plea last month, Bishop Router confirmed that Gallagher was questioned by the Derry diocese about separate allegations – three weeks before he was arrested to face those 109 charges.
Bishop Router, who has asked the Vatican to defrock Gallagher, told the Donegal News that an adult made a complaint against Gallagher – and the bishop has now assured parishioners that “safeguarding protocols” were in place.
In his statement to the Donegal News this week, the bishop also re-stated that the diocese had no information about Gallagher previously.
He said: “The Diocese of Derry reiterates its previous statements that, before Fr Edward Gallagher’s arrest in April 2025, it had no knowledge, suspicions, concerns or allegations about him in relation to children.”
The 109 sex offences that Gallagher pleaded guilty to included attempted sexual communication with a child under 16, possessing indecent images of a child, and attempting to encourage a child to engage in sexual activity.