Disgraced ex-bishop dies at 89

DISGRACED ex Bishop of Ferns Brendan Comiskey died yesterday, as a clerical sex abuse victim said he "failed to do what was obviously and simply right".

- BY CIARA O'LOUGHLIN

The Monaghan native, 89, passed away in Louth County Hospital in Dundalk.

He had retreated from public life following the 2005 publication of the Ferns Report into child sex abuse in the diocese over 40 years.

Three years earlier in April 2002, Dr Comiskey had resigned for failing to report allegations that evil Fr Sean Fortune had abused children while Dr Comiskey was bishop in the southeastern diocese.

Fr Fortune, who later took his own life while awaiting trial, was a manipulative serial paedophile and Dr Comiskey admitted he found him difficult to deal with.

The issue was made public by a damning BBC documentary called Suing The Pope uncovered around 100 allegations of abuse against 21 priests. Colm O'Gorman, who made the documentary and who was one of Fr Fortune's victims, said yesterday Dr Comiskey failed to do what was right but has asked the public “not to scapegoat any one man” following his death.