PARISHIONERS IN the midlands have been “very upset” by a priest’s sermon at Mass yesterday morning, where it was felt he defended the industrial and reformatory schools in the last century.
Fr Tom Coonan was celebrating Mass at St Joseph’s Church, Ballingar, Co Offaly, yesterday where it is alleged he said some of the children sent to the nearby Daingean reformatory school were “ruffians” who had not been wanted by society.
Fr Coonan said he did not use the word “ruffian” in his sermon.
One parishioner in the congregation, who did not want to be named, said Fr Coonan had “touched on” the issue of Daingean two Sundays ago and said people “were talking about it” in the Geashill area.
“And then this morning he went into his sermon and was talking about different things, but again he brought it round to Daingean,” she said.
“He said the children in there were only young ruffians that no one else wanted. He said they’d be dumped there.”
The parishioner said she noticed one woman near her in the congregation becoming “quite agitated” – she thought the woman may have spent time in an industrial school or other institution as a child.
“She was visibly quite upset,” the parishioner said. “She was picking up her purse and walking stick and when it came to Communion she went and took and left very quickly.
“People are talking about Fr Coonan and asking why does he keep going on about this. The abuse happened and the least they [the religious] could do is apologise.”
The church was “full”, she said, and there was a large number of children present who had made their first holy Communion last week.
Fr Coonan said yesterday evening his sermon had been framed to mark the Feast of the Eucharist and its main focus was on forgiveness.
“I said it can be hard to forgive and I went on to say it can be hard to forgive if you have not experienced forgiveness.” He said there was a tendency to condemn the sins of the past while not focusing on the ills of the present. He told The Irish Times he had said many of the children who were sent to Daingean had not been wanted by society.
“And in an aside I said not all the boys sent there were angels. Now if that caused offence to people I regret it and I withdraw. And I totally and utterly condemn all the abuse that happened.”
Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin Dr James Moriarty could not be contacted to comment last night.
