An RTÉ and Irish Mail on Sunday investigation has revealed the late Bishop Eamonn Casey was formally removed from public ministry in 2007, following allegations including the sexual abuse of his niece.
According to the two outlets, the former Bishop of Kerry and Galway was requested not to publicly exercise the ministry by 2006, and that this was reiterated formally a year later.
His niece, Patricia Donovan, has alleged that he abused her from the age of five, but Casey consistently denied allegations against him, and was never convicted of any sexual crimes and remained a bishop until his death in March 2017.
Bishop Casey had resigned in 1992 after fathering a child with his distant American cousin, Annie Murphy, and left the country, but returned to Ireland in 2006 to retire.
The Vatican confirmed to RTÉ that he was formally removed from ministry in 2007, following allegations which included child sexual abuse.
A full documentary will be aired on RTÉ television about these revelations tomorrow night.
