Tony Walsh (priest)

Tony Walsh was an Irish Roman Catholic priest who was convicted of child sexual abuse.

Musical career

In the late 1970s Father Walsh became part of Father Michael Cleary's All Priests Show as an Elvis impersonator. He was dropped from the show in the 1980s following rumours of child abuse which were not reported to the Gardaí.

Child abuse

Main article: Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin

In December 2010 he was sentenced to a total of 123 years for child abuse, but as the sentences were to be served concurrently, the maximum he could serve is 16 years. At the time it was the most severe sentence imposed on a child abuser. He was previously convicted of child abuse.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin apologised to Walsh's victims and admitted that the church had failed them.

Murphy Report

Chapter 19 of the Murphy Report, which had been withheld as court proceedings were being taken against the subject of the chapter, was released by a High Court ruling on 15 December 2010. On 17 December 2010 the Irish Times published the following quotes from the report:

'“Fr Tony Walsh is probably the most notorious child sexual abuser to have come to the attention of the Commission… His pattern of behaviour is such that it is likely that he has abused hundreds of children.” – Introduction to Chapter 19 of the Murphy Report

“Tony Walsh is extremely compulsive – there have been an awful lot of children involved. He is a very disturbed man. He is always going to be dangerous. He could not be let near schools, children, Confession without a grille…” – Psychiatrist who treated Tony Walsh in Stroud in the UK in 1988

“I hate myself because of the hurt I have given to others but I also love myself. I know I have done more good in my 10 years of priesthood than bad.” – Tony Walsh in a statement to Monsignor Alex Stenson, then chancellor of the archdiocese, in 1988

“Bishop Eamonn Walsh made the outrageous suggestion that the Archbishop should inform the civil authorities about Fr Walsh’s homosexual orientation.” – Monsignor Gerard Sheehy about a bishops’ meeting in 1990 concerning Tony Walsh

Bishop Eamonn Walsh told the Commission that his concern related to Tony Walsh’s paedophile orientation and not his sexuality in general – Page 265 of Murphy Report

“Apparently [a garda] from Whitehall Garda station had been looking for a Fr Walsh with an address at Mellifont. Walsh had approached a child and the mother had complained to the police… I rang [the garda] and explained who I was and what I had heard. I asked if he could provide details. He did but wondered if Walsh had a record. I evaded that but told him to proceed with whatever steps he thought he should take." – Mgr Alex Stenson in 1991

"I will continue to fight. I intend doing this because I believe that it is the Archbishop of Dublin and Alex Stenson versus Walsh and God and who can fight against God?” – Tony Walsh in evidence to the Church penal process in 1992

"I think it important that every one of us should at this stage avoid any excessive reaction – no matter what the civil law may say. Least of all should we pay any real attention to the money-making posturing of the media" – Mgr Alex Stenson to Archbishop Connell in 1995

"The Archbishop humbly begs the Holy Father graciously to grant him this favour in the interest of the well-being of the Church" – Archbishop Desmond Connell to Pope John Paul II in November 1995

"As in other cases, it is notable how charitable the parents who complained were. It is abundantly clear that they simply wanted to ensure that other children were not abused" – Conclusion to Chapter 19 of the report '

See also

• Timeline of church responses, 1978–1997