A niece of Eamonn Casey, Patricia Donovan, has spoken out about the alleged rape and sexual abuse she endured at the hands of the former Bishop of Galway.
Donovan, who first reported the abuse to Gardaí in 2005, has revealed that her fear of Casey potentially victimizing another young girl motivated her to come forward.
Donovan’s allegations date back to the late 1960s, beginning when she was just five years old and continuing for over a decade.
Her story was first publicly detailed in 2019 in the Irish Mail on Sunday, which also covered abuse claims from other women against Casey.
In a new RTÉ documentary, produced in association with the Mail on Sunday, Donovan describes her decision to report Casey.
She explains, “I had found out that he was visiting someone and staying overnight where there was a teenage girl. All I thought of was that girl.”
Donovan has previously stated that the abuse occurred across the three dioceses where Casey served—Limerick, Kerry, and Galway.
She described the abuse as “the worst kind” and “horrific,” stating that she had long struggled to find words to describe her experiences adequately.
In early 2006, Limerick detectives travelled to England to take a statement from Donovan. However, by August of that year, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided not to proceed with charges based on 13 sample allegations.
Casey, who has denied the allegations, expressed surprise at the rapid decision from the DPP, noting that he had only recently been interviewed by gardaí.
Documents reviewed by the Mail on Sunday show that Donovan made numerous efforts over the years to ensure that Casey was prevented from having access to other children. She worked to enforce sanctions and restrictions imposed by the Catholic Church on Casey’s ministry.
