Eamonn Casey was an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who served as bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh in Ireland from 1976 to 1992. His resignation in 1992, after it was revealed he had had an affair with an American woman, was a pivotal moment in Ireland's relationship with the Catholic church. Subsequently, a number of women made allegations against Casey that they were sexually abused by him, two of which received compensation following a High Court trial. One of the women, his niece Patricia Donovan, alleged in 2019 that she was repeatedly raped by Casey when she was five years old and assaulted sexually by him for more than a decade.
Casey worked aiding Irish emigrants in Britain. In addition, he supported the Dunnes Stores' staff, who were locked out from 1982 to 1986 for refusing to sell goods from apartheid South Africa.
In 1992 it was reported that Casey had had a sexual relationship in the early 1970s with American citizen Annie Murphy. Murphy became pregnant; Casey was determined that the child should be given up for adoption, but Murphy resisted, and returned to the United States with their son, Peter, born in 1974 in Dublin. Casey made payments for the boy's maintenance, but refused to develop a relationship with him. Murphy was very disappointed by this, and ultimately, in the early 1990s, contacted The Irish Times to tell the story. Casey admitted that he had sinned, and wronged the boy, his mother, "God, his church and the clergy and people of the dioceses of Galway and Kerry", resigned as bishop, and left the country. Murphy published a book, Forbidden Fruit, in 1993 revealing details of their relationship. Casey was succeeded by his secretary, James McLoughlin, who served in the post until his own retirement on 3 July 2005. Casey became a missionary alongside members of the Missionary Society of St. James in a rural parish in Ecuador, whose language, Spanish, he did not speak. During this time, he travelled long distances to reach the widely scattered members of his parish. After his missionary period was completed, Casey took a position in the parish of St. Pauls, Haywards Heath, in south-east England. In 2005, Casey was investigated in conjunction with the sexual abuse scandal in Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora diocese, and cleared of any wrongdoing. In 2019, it emerged that Casey had faced at least three accusations of sexual abuse before his death, with two High Court cases being settled. The Kerry diocese confirmed that it had received allegations against him, that Gardaí and health authorities had been informed and that the person concerned was offered support by the diocese. He returned to Ireland in 2006, but was not permitted to say Mass in public. He is the subject of Martin Egan's song "Casey", sung by Christy Moore. He is also the subject of the Saw Doctors' song "Howya Julia".
Illness and death
In August 2011, Casey was admitted to a nursing home in County Clare because he was in poor health. He died on 13 March 2017 at the age of 89, a month before his 90th birthday.
