Everything about Eamon Casey totally explained
Eamon Casey (b.
April 24,
1927 in Firies,
County Kerry) is the
Roman Catholic Bishop Emeritus of
Galway and
Kilmacduagh,
Ireland. He was formerly
Bishop of Kerry. Having renounced the office of bishop, Bishop Casey doesn't hold a
Titular See.
Priesthood
Casey was ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Kerry on
June 17,
1951 and appointed Bishop of Kerry on
July 17,
1969, a position he held until
1976, when he was appointed bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and apostolic administrator of Kilfenora. While in Galway, he was seen as a progressive, a significant change in a diocese that had been led for nearly forty years by the very conservative
Michael Browne (Bishop from
1937 to
1976). Casey was well-known for both his work with Irish emigrants in
Britain, and having taken the side of the
Dunnes Stores' staff who were locked out from 1982 to 1986 for refusing to sell goods from
apartheid South Africa. He was also a vocal opponent of US foreign policy in
Nicaragua and as a result opposed the 1984 visit of
Ronald Reagan to Ireland, refusing to meet him when he came to Galway.
Resignation
Casey had had a sexual relationship with Annie Murphy, an
American divorcée and together they'd had a son, Peter, born in 1974. It is alleged that he used church funds to fulfil his maintenance obligations; whether this was with or without the knowledge of his colleagues remains a matter of conjecture. When the matter became public in May
1992, Bishop Casey resigned his post. He then left for a missionary position in
Ecuador. It is also alleged that the church funds were repaid on his behalf by friends. Casey was succeeded by
Bishop James McLoughlin, who served in the post until his own retirement on
July 3,
2005.
In subsequent years,
serious sexual crimes involving other
Irish priests have become known, and the scandal around these exceeded that around Casey's actions. However, at the time it was regarded as a major scandal, as Casey was a prominent and outspoken figure in the Catholic Church in Ireland. The sense of shock at the time was also heightened by the fact that Casey was popular and respected as a progressive church leader. His resignation is widely regarded as a pivotal moment when the Roman Catholic
hierarchy began to lose its considerable influence over the society and politics of the
Republic of Ireland.
Abuse allegations 2005
Casey was investigated in connection with 13 allegations reported in November 2005 by a woman, a native of
Limerick but living in the UK, concerning incidents that took place over 30 years earlier. A
Garda Síochána inquiry ensued but the
Director of Public Prosecutions decided in August 2006 not to bring charges against Casey. The Irish bishops will now determine if Casey can be restored to full priestly ministry through their own internal procedures.
Return to Ireland
On
January 20,
2006, it was announced that Casey would be returning to Ireland. Then on
January 22,
2006, Casey said that he'd delay his return until his name was cleared by an Gardaí of a new allegation of improper conduct (relating to his time in Ireland). However, he returned to the Republic of Ireland on
February 5,
2006 and resides in
Shanaglish, a village near
Gort Co
Galway.
Trivia
- Bishop Casey is the alleged basis for the character of Bishop Leonard Brennan in the Channel4 sitcom Father Ted, a corrupt and extravagant bishop with a son in America.
- The general hilarity that the incident naturally caused in Ireland was substantial, the old joke being that contraceptives began to referred to as "Just in Caseys"! This expression was adopted as the trade name of a condom distributor in Northern Ireland.(External Link
)
- Bishop Casey also founded and set up Shelter (the homeless charity) along with Des Wilson.
- Bishop Casey is the subject of Martin Egan's song "Casey", sung by Christy Moore.
- Bishop Casey is also the subject of the Saw Doctors song "Howya Julia".
Further Information
Get more info on 'Eamon Casey'.
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