Principal Jean Pound.
Since the Father Carey story broke the principal of Colaiste Muire, Jean Pound, has received emails and telephone calls about having the priest’s photo and data on the school website.
Yesterday the school removed all reference to their (former ? ) chaplain.
I suppose one of Ms Pound’s dilemmas was that Father Carey had been appointed by Fintan Monahan and only Fintan Monahan could remove him.
One caller to Ms Pound did suggest to her that she should immediately inform the parents of what had happened and that this would be in line with Safeguarding.
Sadly, Ms Pound and her highly-regarded college were dragged into this scandal through no fault of their own but by the actions of the chaplain himself.
It is a sad incident in its history.
WHEN DID FINTAN MONAHAN KNOW OF FATHER CAREY’S ARREST?
Father Carey was arrested on August 3 rd 2020 – over 6 months ago.
Some Killaloe clergy are saying that Fintan Monahan did not know of the the arrest immediately?
Father Carey should have informed Monahan immediately. Did he?
And Fintan Monahan should have immediately remove Carey as Colaiste Muire chaplain and replaced him – allowing the school to be taken completely out of the equation.
I do think that Ms Pound must now inform the children’s parents of what has happened?
Has Fr Carey been in the school since his arrest on August 3 rd?
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 
116 replies on “COLAISTE MUIRE ENNIS REMOVES FR. CAREY’S PICTURE AND INFORMATION FROM THEIR WEBSITE.”
Good man Pat. Not too many spelling mistakes and grammatical errors into todays blog. You’re learning :). Keep up the good work
LikeLike
11:02pm
Oh! no, not the pedantic Granny Grammar imparting her usual tiresome and unwanted wisdom. She forgot to put a full stop in her last sentence. Tut Tut!
LikeLike
8.52
Grammar is a means to an end. An aid to communication. It’s the how of what you want to say. If you are not concerned about language or seek to abuse those who are, you have no place in civilized discourse.
LikeLike
Perhaps you should have used “today’s” rather than “todays”.
LikeLike
1.04: Should it not be todays’ ? Notice the apostrophe…Just asking but todays seems right..
LikeLike
What aboutvan FOI to Dept of Education to see if his salary was drawn down?
LikeLike
When did Carey step down as chaplain of that school?
LikeLike
Maybe he was just scratching his balls. How do we know he was touching his hard Mickey?
LikeLike
LikeLike
11.46
Sure he was.😕
LikeLike
Why is it that only priests are appointed chaplains? Clearly, many of them wouldn’t know God if he turned up and proclaimed the rainbow in the narrative of the Flood to be the very first gay-pride flag.
LikeLike
They’re not always nowadays. A certain Michael Byrne being a case in point.
LikeLike
But he’s not lay, he’s a cleric.
LikeLike
Lay chaplains are a waste of time. They cannot celebrate the sacraments.
LikeLike
5.58
Nor can a priest. Only Jesus can.
LikeLike
What a scandal, Bp Pat, as if that Finton fellow doesn’t have enough on his plate with Purcell and all his alleged antics.
LikeLike
Bishop Fintan is only 54 years of age so a great learning curve.
Ideal to sort out the C/O, MIA and Sabbatical clergy if he handles this correct however his public statement said he is we will see.
LikeLike
10:04
Interesting comment 🤔
LikeLike
The poor craythurs
LikeLike
@ 10:04 am
Must the hierarchical wheel be reinvented to facilitate ‘learning curves’?
LikeLike
I think it was a cry for help. Fintan was informed immediately. School couldn’t remove him because he is Fintans appointee and he is innocent until proven guilty.
LikeLike
So wrong Fintan was not informed immediately as Mr Carey wanted sexual therapy.
Mr Carey is in the hope of returning to full ministry.
So either Mr Carey will go or Bishop Fintan will.
Canon law can remove you for brining the Church into disrepute never mind a sexual criminal offence.
Mr Carey will stay on the pay toll while he appeals the canonical tribunals.
The school had NO intention of removing “their” Chaplin and they could have.
LikeLike
The bishop appoints the chaplain. The school generates the position and the department pay the wages.
LikeLike
12.23
So the psychic welfare of those girls didn’t feature at all in any of these decisions about the priest-pervert Carey?
Only the priest-pervert did?😕
LikeLike
Not at all, Fintan was hoping it would fly under the radar and it would have if it wasn’t for the sterling work of Bishop Pat Buckley a true man of God
LikeLike
Even though you meant it as a compliment 🙂 Ido not liked being called a “true man of God” because I am both imperfect and sinful.
I always think its better fir usvto say that we are TRYING to follow Jesus as best as we can.
LikeLike
1.55
The sterling work of Bishop Buckley AND the integrity of the priest who informed him here.
Well done, that priest.
(I, very rarely, laud Romanist priests, so take my praise as very high indeed.)
LikeLike
I would not have known about this issue but for the call from a Killaloe priest, who had been, at one time a victim of Carey’s arrogance and condemnation.
LikeLike
So it was payback time for Miss Carey… and a good three-day (plus updates I hope) blog for us oldies. Excellent.
Concerned OAP
LikeLike
Its not about payback at all. Its about exposure of wrongdoing and especially of a coverup.
LikeLike
“BRINING the church!” Good old RCC: SALT of the earth those canon law folk.
LikeLike
Did J Carey plead guilty?
School’s should not need the permission. If anyone to remove him – the principal has a duty of care to the children.
At the very least, he should have been suspended pending investigation.
LikeLike
Catholic teachers and principals are afraid of bishops and priests.
LikeLike
His Lawyer advised him to plead guilty and use Mr Carey not the Dioceses.
LikeLike
12.25
I have as much respect for lawyers as I have for priests.
LikeLike
2:03 Pat if more Priests gave tip offs things might change. Thanks for your work.
LikeLike
1:56 pm
Join the club- movement.
LikeLike
Over the last couple of days many people have expressed opinions about Carey and his behaviour, and about Bishop Monahan and how he has handled this matter. My estimation is that the comments have been overwhelmingly negative. I myself make no value judgement here on the situation or the individuals, What I have been thinking about is how these judgements and reaction are a reflection of the situation the Church and its priests find themselves in currently in respect of how they are viewed and held in the mind of the laity and society. It is clear to me that deference for the Church and clergy has long since disappeared, although it is true to say that is the case for so many professionals in our society. My relations with my GP are a world of difference from what they would have been thirty years ago – less deferential, dependant, plaintiff, more equal and consentual – but still trusting and respectful. In the case of the Church and clergy, however, not only has deference gone, but so has trust and respect. I do not think that, by and large, we trust our clergy anymore and most certainly do not trust our bishops, to be doing the right thing and to be telling us the truth. With it has gone respect. This is the result of decades of undermining that trust by what we now know was happening unseen – abuse of the most vulnerable, coverup, lies, denial, protection of clergy at the cost of the victims, the list could go on. The peccadillos of Carey and the damage it has done to him are insignificant when compared to the cumulative damage that his behaviour, the crimes of his fellow clergy and bishops, and the clerical culture of being unaccountable and untrammelled has done to the relationship between the laity, society at large and the Church and its priests and bishops. For so many people these days, Church, priests, bishops are not the go to places that they refer to when they need help. There is an instinctive lack of trust in those things. We find other places and people where we can feel that we can be safe and valued and in which we can have faith and trust. If I were Bishop Monaghan and other Church leaders in Ireland, I would be pondering deeply about this situation and where it will eventually lead the Church and them in the future, which is essentially in to increasing irrelevance as people discount the Church as a positive influencer in their lives. It is no hyperbole to say that this situation is an existential threat to the Church. They need to see it and to address it. And the first step in that is to build back trust, which will be a long and hard slog, and the way to do that is to be honest, open, transparent, and communicate, rather than what we have seen in this current episode and in other episodes like Purcell, where the tactic has been to keep quiet, hope it will all go away, deal with it piecemeal and clandestinely, and generally try to keep wraps on anything that might be embarrassing. They have been warned !
LikeLike
Excellent analysis.
LikeLike
10:12 am.
Great post S Sally.
This situation is NOT the only situation Bishops need to ponder
on….! 😭
Take note Arch. Okolo.
LikeLike
Okolo is a Nigerian and he will still be invested with the clerical defence culture that is alive and kicking in Nigeria to this day, and won’t be able to think outside that culture, no matter how much diplomatic training he has received. Of course, if he hangs around long enough he will see the same narrative play out in his own country, which is most corrupt, including the Church and its clergy. They are up to all sorts of things – abusive, sexual, financial, power, you name it. It is only a matter of time until the whole thing explodes.
LikeLike
Do not be fooled it was Bishop Pat Buckley’s blog and an eagle eyed supporter that forced them into action.
Remember the case was on Monday and NO action was taken till Wednesday afternoon.
They were planning a cover up.
Instead of people being keyboard wizards they should let the Bishop’s know what they think.
LikeLike
That about sums it up.
LikeLike
10.12
Sensible, mature, and intelligent post.
(Psst! There’ll be no living with you today with all this praise going to your head.)
LikeLike
Thank you Sally. As +Pat says, an excellent analysis.
I would add to it from my humanist perspective, that increasingly more and more people are realising that religion with its weird beliefs and practices, both of its rituals and its clerical representatives, is actually a huge con. Individuals are realising that anyway quite apart from the ongoing exposure of clerical behaviour which simply adds like a snowball effect.
“The number of Irish people with no religion- atheists and agnostics- increased by 400% in Ireland between 1991 and 2011, to a total of 277, 237.” (Patrick Counihan Dec 30, 2013. Irish Central) This departure from religion in a formerly deeply religious country is mirrored worldwide. I think that in Ireland post covid, church attendance will plummet and as the current older clergy in Ireland are not replaced Catholicism as we have known it will become very much a minority activity.
At some future stage Christianity will be viewed in the same way modern civilisation currently regards long gone ancient belief systems and their gods: Greek, Roman, Egyptian to name some more familiar, or, closer to home, Celtic paganism.
MMM
LikeLike
MMM, I think what you say will indeed happen.
But there will always be people like myself, who believe in Jesus of Nazareth and desire to have a Christian spirituality.
I am open to the argument that says I may be following a myth, but it’s a “myth” that gives my life meaning.
Myth is a word with more than one meaning.
LikeLike
Oy! Don’t forget the neo Pagans! We don’t all look away like Janus 😂
LikeLike
Atheist repent!!
LikeLike
….oh, and of course, what the nitwits don’t realise is that they think that they can keep it quiet and hidden….but people like + Pat and others will and do find out and the whole thing comes out in to the open…..so better that these clergy and bishops get ahead of that…..any decent PR person would tell them that…..only they don’t listen…..because they think they know best….ontological change and instant wisdom and all that….. !
LikeLike
What should have happened was this: after his arrest he should have been suspended by both the diocese and the school pending trial, and this should have been on full pay.
Both should have put out a statement without the full details of what he was accused of.
If he’s just been carrying on as normal then that is the scandal here.
If the diocese tried to overpower the school the head should have gone ahead and suspended him anyway.
This really isn’t difficult.
LikeLike
The clergy could have made the principal’s life torturous.
LikeLike
Yes Pat, I honestly get that but as a professional the principal’s first duty is to the pupils.
LikeLike
I totally agree. One man who rang her on Wednesday found her very defensive.
LikeLike
I think if you apply for a job as head of an RC school you should be wary because of its established history of encouraging child abuse. I suppose people need to learn the true nature of the church by experience though.
LikeLike
Sounds like she’s been nobbled already.
LikeLike
Catholic teachers and principals are the prisoners of parish priests and bishops.
LikeLike
10.51
The principal was very defensive? Uh-oh!😕 Looks as though she knows she didn’t act responsibly here, with the welfare of her students uppermost.
Methinks she has protested too strongly.
I hope that the students there are aware of all this.
LikeLike
The caller said she was rude!
LikeLike
1.55
Which suggests she knows that she put consideration for a priest-pervert over the much more pressing considerations for her students. If this is true, then she betrayed those young women for a dirty old man.
Shame on her if she did!
And fall on her sword she must.
LikeLike
Currently, we don’t know what Jean Pound knew and when she knew it.
If he was absent from the school since August did she not know why?
A missing chaplain, for 6 months, is an important matter surely?
LikeLike
After having been arrested, Carey should have been suspended. Full stop. After having been charged he most certainly should have been suspended. After being found guilty he should have been sacked. If he was allowed on to the school’s premises and if he undertook roles there after his arrest, then that is a grievous failing of safeguarding, particularly since his offence had a sexual and public outrage flavour to it. I don’t see what the problem could be about coming to this simple conclusion on the part of the Principal or the Bishop ? If they did otherwise, then they should be asked to account for themselves – by safeguarding bodies, by social services, by the education department……
LikeLike
12.16: Abig lie… afraid in 5he 40′, 50’s and 60’s but different today. You’re so out of touch but it suits you to suggest
otherwise. That’s the problem when you opt out of and choose to apostatise.
LikeLike
11.17
If you are right, the principal should have been sacked; the bishop, too.
If child safeguarding was compromised in favour of this convicted priest-pervert, then heads need to roll.
LikeLike
11.17
In fairness to the Bishop I understand he only knew last week about the actual charges.
However he was very very slow from Monday and that is shocking.
As for Mrs Pound she is ignorant to say the least and really I think she was in the dark and thought Fr Carey would be coming back.
Both the Bishop and Mrs Pound need to go on a Safeguarding course instead of sending others they should try it themselves.
Father Carey did not inform the Bishop of the facts which is shocking and he is suspended and to follow a canonical procedure in the hope he just gets a warning (No chance) and he will not resign also Bishop Fintan is weak.
LikeLike
Breaking news: Cardinal Tobin appointed to Congregation of Bishops.
LikeLike
11:24 Baby, that news broke last night.
LikeLike
Doesn’t mean he’s moving to Rome
LikeLike
True.
LikeLike
11.48am Did I say be was moving to Rome? No, of course not. You made a very foolish mistake. Let’s hope you will be sensible in the future.
LikeLike
The Vortex — Crime and Cover-Up
LikeLike
Why hasn’t the Daily Mail picked up on the Carey story?
LikeLike
The modern Irish media is very PC when it comes to sex and homosexuality.
LikeLike
Don’t think he’s gay Pat he was masturbating to a picture of Ms Pound
LikeLike
Now that’s naughty. From what I hear, he is gay.
LikeLike
I wondered why you were writing about Jean Genet when I first saw his picture 👬
LikeLike
https://cache.sharesome.com/file/sharesome/uploads/user-images/u936899/z5nncn-bklgubqed6-o.jpg
LikeLike
11.24: A lie of a statement and well you know it. Total lie. I have worked in schools for over 40 years run by religious and/or full lay staff – non religious staff, in case you don’t grasp the difference. Never did I witness any abuse, nor did I ever have a complaint from parents about any abuse, except the abuse of schoolyard bullying. Long before child protection became a predominant issue for everyone, the schools I worked in had superb definitions of school ethos, codes of discipline and behaviour and any issue brought to the attention of school boards were promptly and professionally dealt with. I have been privileged to have worked with wonderful principals, teachers, school boards and parents associations. I also had the great task of interviewing and appointing principals to four schools. All were successful and professional principals. And you sir, would like us to believe that I appointed a principal on the grounds that he tolerate “abuse”, encouraged by priests and the Church to do so!! I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you have a smidgen of intelligence and answer “NO” to this question. If unable to do so, perhaps have a brain scan to fix your skewed, stupid and moronic thought process. Otherwise shut up! How plonky are some!!
LikeLike
That’s very encouraging to hear. And especially that they valued diversity in employment, including giving a job to someone blind, deaf and dumb like yourself.
LikeLike
1 45: Awwwwwww… you don’t like the TRUTH. Pity about you, hater…Where do people like you come from? What level of education? My involvement and successes in education is way beyond what you’ll ever imagine! You imbecile..Honestly…
LikeLike
He who can, does, he who can’t, teaches.
LikeLike
Actually nobody has said that and they’re not talking about you. I don’t know what blog post you think you’re responding to but it’s certainly not this one.
Kindly refrain from irrelevancies.
And incidentally if you are incapable of understanding the issue here, you are certainly not a fit person to have any responsibility for the running of a school.
LikeLike
2.06: Sir, my professionalism and achievements in all my years in education are well appreciated and acknowledged. Pity that you don’t educate yourself beyond your hatred of priests and access more reliable sources for your information than reliance on this blog. I can bet that you, sir, have no experience of teaching in or managing and administering any school! Professionalism is my forte, of course!. I didn’t achieve a degree in educational and school management for a laugh. The incredible professionalism of the Holy Faith Sisters inspired my while working with them for ten years. My judgments, insights and experience were always valued and still are.
LikeLike
@8:07 Thanks for giving me the best laugh I’ve had all day. Wonderful spoof.
LikeLike
So that principal and Monahgan were willingbto sacrifice the welfare of students for the convenience of a priest accused of outraging public decency?
Am I right here?
LikeLike
Well not necessarily. It’s not inconceivable that she wasn’t told about his arrest, in which case the priest himself should have told her and the bishop should have told her too.
In the professions not disclosing that kind of thing would get you struck off.
LikeLike
I think it is very likely that Ms Pound was not told of Fr Carey’s problems – as least officially.
LikeLike
2.00
There is such thing as a grapevine? People talk.
LikeLike
Yes, that’s how it seems. Safeguarding my arse.
LikeLike
Jerry was diagnosed with skin cancer on his head in mid 2020. This is true and he did receive treatment. Again common knowledge in Ennis. However he used this leave for illness as an excuse to cover his behaviour from the school it would now transpire. Jerry made quite the attempt to cover this up.
LikeLike
@ 5.51, can you blame the man if he did try to cover up such a crime?
Which of us wouldn’t have done the same?
LikeLike
1.48: NO – you are not right. You are WRONG…
LikeLike
All together now:
The RC church still doesn’t get safeguarding.
Join in the chorus:
Which is why it and any organization attached to it should be policed by civil agencies for the safety of everyone concerned.
LikeLike
Totally agree. There should be an independent Irish Society of Safeguarding Professionals, underwritten by law.
LikeLike
I see the school website has ‘make a payment’ at the top. Is it a private school? If it is that explains everything. Your kids are safer in the roughest city state school with drug dogs and metal detectors than in any independent school.
LikeLike
https://www.ennisparish.com/school/colaiste-muire-ennis/
https://www.ennisparish.com/our-parish/safeguarding/
LikeLike
Ironic that the safeguarding page has this reflection at the bottom:
No storm will ever last a life time. Just hold on, be brave and have faith. Before you know it, the storm will be gone.
LikeLike
2.02pm
I couldn’t agree more, +Fintan doesn’t and didn’t care about safeguarding in this case. Safeguarding was an after thought, no statement at the time of Casey stepping down from his role at the school, all hush hush, nothing to see here, the priest is just taking a break shite.
+Fintan’s statement and taking down of Fr Carey’s photos and credentials are for me six months too late. I have some compassion for Fr Carey but he’s got to go. No chances with safeguarding the vulnerable. I was this inept bishop felt the same.
LikeLike
I can’t believe that this wasn’t picked up officially.
In the UK an arrest for an offence like that would be flagged up because the person would have had a DBS check which automatically alerts the police, local authority, church and any other organisation that the person was DBS cleared for. Then they all work together.
LikeLike
Don’t forget that there is a short enough time between the arrest and conviction for this not to be picked up if they’re done annually.
LikeLike
No, it automatically shows that someone has DBS clearance and raises the flag at the time of arrest.
LikeLike
It sounds to me as if Carey and + Bishop tried to keep this quiet, and perhaps the Principal of the school just didn’t know about why Carey was on sick leave, if that was what he was doing, using his head skin cancer as a cover. I can understand Carey trying to minimise / hide / cover what has happened to him, it’s only natural. But the Bishop should have been above all that and open and honest with the people who needed to know. Like the Principal. Did he tell her ? Or did he just provide a cover story for Carey to explain his absence ? Was he absent ? Or did Monahan allow him to continue in his duties, especially at the school ? If he did, then did he inform the Principal of what had happened but that Carey would be continuing ? Or did he keep her in the dark ? If she did know, or was told, but allowed him to carry on in the school, then I’m afraid she has serious questions to answer. My suspicion is that she knew very little, was kept deliberately in the dark, in either scenario where Carey was on ‘sick leave / absence’ or was allowed to carry on. That’s the way the Church and Bishops usually work, so it wouldn’t surprise me that she was purposefully kept in the dark by Monahan and Carey.
LikeLike
And generally, in Ireland, skin cancer is rarely serious. Maybe Fr Carey spent a lot of time away in the sun – on beaches far away?
LikeLike
She was probably kept in the dark and fed on the proverbial.
LikeLike
Will you be addressing the Fr Marmion case? Joe Duffy has addressed it over the past three days on LiveLine. It could open a flood gate?
LikeLike
Tonight
LikeLike
1.29: Do you know the meaning of “psychic” welfare? Obviously not. You surely meant PSYCHOLOGICAL WELFARE…Just a wee relevant correction. I hope the students were not doing “psychic” activities…a dark world..Perhaps it’s where you are right now. Just sayin’ like.. 👹👹👹👹👹…
LikeLike
8.18
‘Psychic’ , meaning ‘beyond the sphere of scientific or material knowledge’. In this case, their spiritual welfare: the welfare of their souls.
You utter prune. 😀
LikeLike
Actually many schools have chakra aligning and reading the akashic records on the curriculum these days. And that’s not even considering Waldorf schools!
LikeLike
8:38, when I picture you I picture John Cleese 😍
LikeLike
8.38: You are so wrong. So, so wrong. You obviously know you’re wrong, you mutton head. Incidentally I also got the same meaning of the word psychic as you did…but, silly fool, psychic is also about clairvoyance, predicting the future, the occult.. Look up real meaning. The correct phrase is PSYCHOLOGICAL WELFARE. Look beyind your Beano or Dandy comic dictionary!!!
LikeLike
10.28
I’ll give it one more go.
The word has several meanings; I chose to express one of them.
If you can’t handle this, and the fact that you are wrong, talk to someone about it. 😅
LikeLike
This priest has undoubtedly had a fall from grace, Bp Pat, ridiculous at his age really, and he should have known better. I presume it was during lockdown when gay saunas, bars, and peep shows were closed. He should have just gone to one of the monasteries for… well, let just say, a bit.
LikeLike
This priest is just another in a long,long line of clerics utterly frustrated by requirements for chastity and unable to abide by these club laws. Of course they should be stronger and live their lives without harming anyone else. Preferably outside the club to which they’ve pledged allegiance.
But us humans are weak and only a few find the courage to break free and change. Im not sure this particular offence has anything to do with a danger to children, either in school or elsewhere. There are so many other examples of the latter unfortunately.
A silly mistake which I’m sure he is deeply regretting.
At least he is not anything like a stinking hypocrite such as Keith O’Brien who did so much damage to the institutional church. A better example of a lying,self serving ,nasty tramp I can’t think of . For once Rome acted and dealt with an utter disgrace such as him.
LikeLike
Jerry isn’t gay. I tried to publish earlier on this but Pat didn’t allow it as it doesn’t often suit his anti-gay cleric agenda. However there are multiple faucets to this. Jerry was known for a long standing affair with a married woman in Ennis. He was also despised by many female students at the school as they thought he was overly friendly and coming on strong. A lot of the girls felt uncomfortable with him on School Tours and Leaving Cert discos. In addition to this, a gay friend told me he is a regular at Blackrock and he was surprised at Jerry being arrested at that location. Firstly as he had never seen Jerry there before. Moreover as it was during the day and he said that all the action there is after 11pm. Also there is a historical abuse allegation against Jerry made by a woman that was thrown out about 6 or 7 years ago. No one has really touched on that yet. Not sure if Pat actually knows about this….
LikeLike
I second this. I am a past pupil of that school and always found him to be creepy and overtly sexual towards certain students. He would pick his favourites for sure.
LikeLike
What I think is extraordinary is that here we have a priest in a position of trust who has been caught doing something wrong. If he was, say, a teacher or a nurse and did that he would certainly face disciplinary action and if he didn’t disclose it would be looking at ending his career.
Either way it would get into the local paper.
And yet still people are suggesting that drawing attention to this is to abuse him and say he should be given the benefit of the doubt!
After all the criminality that has been covered up in the church!
LikeLike