Monday, April 27, 2015
Serving Cork for 120 years
Edition No: 35883
RRP: €1.50
Wedding bells ring out for Cork ladies who reach 11th NFL final in 12 years: Page 50
Cork man escapes Nepal disaster by ‘pure chance’
Priest asked to step aside
A CLONAKILTY man, who is the head of a Kathmandu educational charity, has appealed for relief support after the death toll from the devastating earthquake that hit the Nepalese capital over the weekend reached 3,200.
■ ANN MURPHY A STATEMENT read at Masses in Midleton parish has revealed that a priest has been asked to step aside from ministry. The statement said: “Bishop Crean has asked me to inform you that as a result of information received regarding an alleged historical child safeguarding issue, a priest has been asked to step aside from ministry while the matter is being dealt with. The priest in question has agreed to this.” The statement continued: “It is important to state that standing aside does not imply that what is being dealt with is either true or f a l s e . I t e n a bl e s a p p ro p r i at e measures by relevant authorities to take place. The presumption of innocence applies and leave from ministry is precautionary The Statutory Authorities are aware of this matter.” The statement concluded: “Bishop Crean knows how upsetting this is for everyone and asks for your prayers for all involved. Contact details for the Diocesan Safeguarding Service is placed at the back of the Church.”
WEATHER TONIGHT L: 2ºC
Showers in the evening, mostly cloudy and chilly
27.04.15 Recommended retail price €1.50
Rescuers clear the debris at Durbar Sqaure after an earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Saturday, and (inset) Declan Murphy, who escaped the disaster as he was home in Cork for family reasons.
Declan Murphy, founder of ‘just-one’, a charity which works to promote educational opportunities for marginalised children, was devastated to learn of the disaster which occurred while he is home briefly in Cork for family reasons. He said that it was “pure chance and fortune” that he was home this month but said he would prefer to be with his colleagues in the region where the death toll is still climbing and where 100 Irish people, many unaccounted for, are stuck. Declan, a former teacher, who set up the charity in 2004 said: “I got a text from a friend saying have you seen the news? It was just a line but it made me get up and go down and turn on the laptop and check.
■ Audrey Ellard Walsh “Kathmandu is a chaotic city. It’s a magical place and a mystical place, but it’s absolute chaos. It’s incredibly beautiful but as we can see since this has happened, incredibly unstable” Saturday’s magnitude 7.8 earthquake spread hor ror from Kathmandu to small villag es and to the slopes of Mount Everest, triggering an avalanche killing at least 18 people and injuring 61. Cork adventurer Pat Falvey, who has been to the area s e ve r a l t i m e s , s a i d h i s thoughts and prayers went out to all. Meanwhile, Declan said that what the people of Nepal needed now was financial support for the aid organisations. “The best thing people here can do is donate and not necessarily to ‘just-one’. “We’ll work with the kids and the families and I know for a fact that the staff will h e l p w h o e ve r t h e y c o m e across in whatever way they can but our resources are limited. I think what’s most needed is financial support for the organisations that are dealing with the aftermath.” ■ See page three.