Tony Flannery

I got the following letter from the Council of Priests in Killala. It is significant in that, while I have had lots of support at ground level in the Church, this is the first word from an ‘official’ source. I am very grateful to the Killala Council of Priests, which, of course, includes the bishop.

Dear Tony,
On behalf of the priests of the Diocese of Killala I write this letter to assure you of our support for you, and to let you know that you are very much in our thoughts and prayers.

I grew up in a household where politics was regularly discussed, so I am still very interested in the subject, even if, as a priest, I have had to stay out of any active involvement. I am keeping a close eye on the present election campaign, even to the extent of watching the whole of both leaders debates so far, and even the analysis programmes that followed them. That must classify me as an ‘anorak’!

There’s an interesting article about a book review by Adrian Hardiman, in the Irish Times today on page 8.

It’s at http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/hardiman-questions-methods-of-uk-sex-claim-inquiries-1.2533054.

His review is in the Dublin Review of Books at http://www.drb.ie/essays/kafka-on-thames.

His review is of Love, Paul Gambaccini, by Paul Gambaccini, who recounts his experiences at the rough end of Operation Yewtree in UK, an investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse.

There are many things in Hardiman’s review which kept ringing bells in relation to the Murphy Report.