Ex-Bishop of Limerick and one-time Dublin auxiliary bishop, Donal Murray, has passed away. He breathed his last this Sunday morning at the age of 84, at the Milford Care Centre located in Co Limerick. The late bishop Murray was amongst those auxiliary bishops who were criticised in the Murphy commission report that reviewed the management of child sexual abuse allegations within the Dublin Archdiocese from 1975 until 2004.
During his term as a Dublin auxiliary bishop in 1983, Bishop Murray dismissed complaints made by parents regarding child abuse. He handed in his resignation from his position as the Bishop of Limerick in December 2009, in the wake of the damning report, and conveyed his heartfelt apologies to the victims.
Despite stepping down from his position, he continued to serve in the Church. A statement from Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan has paid tribute to the late ex-bishop, expressing condolences to the Murray family as well as the priests and citizens of the Diocese of Limerick. The statement acknowledged his deep affection for the Church and its followers, his endurance of suffering in his later years with the grace of Jesus Christ. He concluded by hoping that Bishop Murray would reap the benefits of his service in the Church in the hereafter.