Former Bishop of Ferns Brendan Comiskey has Died

Former Bishop of Ferns Brendan Comiskey, who resigned over his failure to address allegations of clerical sexual abuse, has died aged 89.

He leaves behind a legacy that mixes both service and controversy. He rose quickly through the ranks of the Church, becoming head of his order by 34, and bishop of Ferns by 47. However, his time in Ferns became heavily linked to the clerical sexual abuse scandals that rocked the Irish Church. The Ferns Report revealed widespread abuse by priests in the diocese, with many cases happening under Comiskey’s leadership. The most notorious was Fr. Seán Fortune, whose abuse was not properly dealt with. Speaking to South East Radio Colm O'Gorman an Abuse Survivor and formerly from the organisation one in four said he doesn't want the former bishop to be scapegoated [audio wav="https://www.southeastradio.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Colm1pm.wav"][/audio] And you can listen to the full interview with Colm tomorrow with Alan Corcoran on Morning Mix