A retired priest has been remanded on bail for sentencing after evidence was given yesterday at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of sexual abuse involving a 16-year-old boy.
Father Harry Moore (68), formerly a curate in Bayside, Dublin, pleaded guilty to two counts of buggery and two of indecent assault on dates between July 1st, 1984, and March 31st, 1985.
Garda Carol Fleming told Ms Róisín Lacey, prosecuting, that Father Moore was known to be an alcoholic by people in the parish at the time.
He was considered to be a "trendy priest" as he wore casual clothes and had a large collection of rock music. He spent a lot of time with young people in the Bayside area on a green known locally as "the lamp chop", which is where he formed a friendship with his victim.
Garda Fleming said that the victim and his friends would call regularly to Father Moore's house as they knew they could get drink from him there.
Garda Fleming said this abuse happened once or twice a week between 1984 and 1985. At one stage, the victim became aware of AIDS and said to Father Moore that he should wear a condom. Father Moore did not agree to this.
Garda Fleming said the victim, who is now 37 years old, reported this sexual abuse to her at Howth Garda station in April 1999.
Dr Patrick Walsh, from the Granada Institute, told Mr Felix McEnroy SC, defending, that Father Moore was first referred there by the archdiocese after he had made inappropriate comments during a sermon in 1993.
He agreed with Mr McEnroy that Father Moore had been drinking heavily since 1970. His father died before his birth, and he was taken into care when he was a child.
Dr Walsh said that when Moore was seven, he was moved to an orphanage, which he left aged 17 to join the priesthood.