Ireland: Parishioners angry at arrival of priest who projected gay porn at school parents meeting
Parishioners at the new parish of a priest who projected gay porn during a meeting with parents at a Northern Ireland school, are “wary” over his upcoming arrival.
Back in 2012, Very Reverend Martin McVeigh was due to project a powerpoint presentation to a group of parents at St Mary’s Primary School. Instead of instructions for their child’s first Holy Communion, however, parents were confronted with 16 images of gay porn.
Father McVeigh is to cross the border to Ireland, and take up the new post post in County Louth, following last year’s controversy. The former Priest of Pomeroy in County Tyrone, announced his decision, after official investigations into the incident proved inconclusive.
The 62-year-old always denied knowing the origin of the images, and admitted “complicating” the issue by destroying the memory stick the night of the incident. The laptop was also stolen before it could be examined.
He will serve at Clogherhead, just north of Drogheda, a parish neighbouring Termonfeckin, where he served in the 1980s.
A parishioner from Termonfeckin yesterday said “anybody over 40”, would remember the priest, and that parishioners in Clogerhead were “wary” of his arrival.
“Termonfeckin and Clogherhead are right next to each other and people often move between the two so there would be a lot of people in Clogherhead now who would have been here when Father McVeigh was priest,” he said.
Some parents, however, have expressed anger at the way the controversy was handled by the church, and had vowed to attempt to block him from carrying out sacramental duties.
The Irish News reported that one parishioner said he was “delighted” to hear that he would not be returning.
“His supporters will no doubt be very sore about it but for the rest of us we are just happy that he’s away,” he said. “The Church investigation in our opinion was never concluded and was very badly handled,” he continued.
Father McVeigh has been supported by some, throughout the episode, however, and certain parishioners have said they will visit him at his new parish.
The transfer will take place during the month of May.
