Four people would be alive today had the late Bishop Michael Harty of Killaloe acted on information about an abuser priest, a Clare GP has claimed.
Dr Moccon McNamara, whose family has run a medical practice in Corofin since 1826, recalled that he had spoken to Bishop Harty in the early 1970s about the sexual abuse of children by local curate Tom McNamara.
Fr McNamara was moved to Mountshannon in 1973, where he was parish priest until 1993. He died in 1997.
While in Mountshannon it is believed he sexually abused Brendan O'Donnell, who murdered Imelda Riney, her son Liam and Fr Joe Walsh in April 1994.
O'Donnell was convicted in 1996 and died a year later at the Central Mental Hospital in Dublin. He was aged 23.
Dr McNamara said yesterday that Bishop Harty was "a little bit dismissive" when he brought the abuse allegations to his attention.
Later Dr McNamara met the then and since deceased chief psychiatrist at Our Lady's Hospital in Ennis, who discussed the priest with him.
"What am I to do about this man?" he had asked.
In the book A Tragedy Waiting to Happen, which was published last year and is about Brendan O'Donnell, it was recalled that Fr McNamara, who was known locally to be a child abuser, had even fondled O'Donnell in public.
Tony Muggivan, who co-authored the book, and his wife Mary, accidentally left Brendan alone with Fr McNamara and both overheard him say: "I love you, Brendan."
Mr Muggivan and his family were neighbours of the O'Donnells in the Mountshannon area. They took Brendan into foster care in 1989.
At the time he was living rough in a derelict shed. It was February and he was said to be starved and in a suicidal state.
Dr McNamara spoke to the present Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, about conveying his concerns to Bishop Harty.
Bishop Walsh, when contacted, visited the doctor at his home in Corofin and was "quite upset" about what he heard.
Last June Bishop Walsh apologised to the people at Masses in Mountshannon and Whitegate parish for the sexual abuse of children perpetrated by Fr McNamara.
"I know only too well that the hurt caused is often so deep that any response will be perceived as inadequate," he said.
