False accusations against priest
Three years ago, Eileen Culloty, now living at Muckross Rd, Killarney, Co Kerry, undertook before the court not to repeat false allegations Fr Liam O’Brien, now based in Sneem, had sexually abused her.
However, the priest claims that, “in the teeth of those undertakings”, she had since made them again on at least five occasions.
It is alleged that, on December 29, 2015, she approached a niece of Fr O’Brien at a wedding rehearsal in the Cathedral, Killarney, and accused the priest of abusing her. On January 4, during a funeral, she allegedly approached two people in the car park of that church and shouted and screamed.
On January 24, she approached a nephew of Fr O’Brien in Muckross Gardens, Killarney, and repeated her abuse allegations, it is claimed. There was another alleged incident in January in a car park in Killarney, in which she allegedly approached a man and made similar claims.
There was also an alleged incident in the toilet of a restaurant in April 2015, when she allegedly approached a woman and made the claims.
In an affidavit, Fr O’Brien said he was shocked to learn of these “flagrant breaches” of the 2013 settlement, in which he agreed not to seek costs against Ms Culloty and bore his own significant costs.
Despite a letter from his solicitor to her on February 15, he had been made aware there had been another incident four days later, when she allegedly approached a teacher in Killarney and made the allegations again.
Following a renewal before the High Court of her 2013 undertaking not to repeat the untrue allegations, the case was adjourned until July.
