Credit: HBR Sources close to Conor Gannon, the former Rome-based Dublin seminarian falsely accused in 2018 of being kicked out of the Irish College in Rome for a sexual liason with another seminarian has said that Mr Gannon is “greatly relieved that he can now move on with his life”.
Claim
In recent days Mr Gannon received an apology from three newspapers – the Irish Times, the Examiner and the Evening Echo – apologising for an article written in 2018 which claimed two trainee priests had been sent back to Ireland from Rome after being found in bed together.
The Irish Times said it “accepts that there was no truth in and no basis for the allegation”…and “apologises to Conor Gannon for stating that he was expelled or suspended from the College.
The Irish Times acknowledges that the article was false and should not have been published.”
“The Irish Times went on to say that they were paying damages to Mr Gannon and it is believed that significant costs will also be paid by the paper.
The orginal article appeared in May 2018 just as a heated debate was taking place in Ireland around the abortion referendum. Sources close to Mr Gannon believe that the lack of any real attempt to verify the story and the allegations made in it was in part an attempt to discredit the Church and the credibility of those working for the Church.
Mr Gannon is currently pursuing other media organisations for publishing the same false allegations but is believed to be saddened at ending his time in the seminary. “He entered the seminary in good faith and dedicated four years of his life trying to be a good student priest and serve the people of the Archdiocese of Dublin.
“He gave up a career to do that and was devastated that his journey came to an end in such a distasteful way.”