A priest has been found not guilty by a jury on eight counts of indecently assaulting an altar boy in Munster 30 years ago.
The accused had contested all of the charges which related to various dates between 1988 and 1990.
The trial at Limerick Circuit Court heard allegations the priest masturbated himself while the boy was on his lap, and that he had placed his hands inside the boy's underwear.
The prosecution had alleged the assaults took place at time when the boy was carrying out menial jobs at the priest’s home, such as washing the priest’s car, cutting his lawn, and carrying out painting work.
On Thursday, the accused denied he carried out the alleged assaults, and said he had “no recollection” of the boy ever coming to his home to carry out this work.
The accused, who stepped aside from ministry following the allegations, agreed with Lily Buckley BL, for the prosecution, that he organised and went on outings with altar boys at the time of the alleged assaults on the injured party.
The accused agreed also he was in a position of “great trust” in his parish.
The alleged injured party’s mother told gardaí she remembered her son going to the priest’s house to cut his grass around the time of the alleged offences.
When asked by Ms Buckley if the boy’s mother was “a liar”, the priest replied: “I’m not saying that. I’m saying I have no recollection.”
The accused denied suggestions by Ms Buckley that he had been sexually attracted to the boy, and that he had chosen him as his victim because he was of a shy nature.
When Ms Buckley put the allegations to the accused, he replied: “That did not happen, that did not happen.”
The accused said he was “shocked” when gardai contacted him about the allegations.
Ms Buckley, continuing her cross-examination of the accused, further alleged: “Of course you were gobsmacked. You couldn’t believe it had finally come to your door. You must have thought you were in the clear.”
The accused responded: “No. In my heart and soul I knew I did nothing wrong.”
After deliberating for just under two hours on Friday, the jury of six men and six women, returned with unanimous not guilty verdicts on all eight counts.
Judge Tom O’Donnell thanked the jury and excused them from further service for a period of five years.