The investigation committee of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse will resume public hearings this morning.
Since September 9th last its hearings, into allegations by former residents at St Joseph's Industrial School, Ferryhouse near Clonmel, Co Tipperary, have been in private. Thirty-two former residents were to give evidence. Today will see the beginning of hearings into the industrial school at Upton, Co Cork.
Public hearings into St Joseph's, Ferryhouse, took place early in September. Father Joe O'Reilly, provincial of the Rosminian Institute of Charity in Ireland congregation, gave evidence.
The congregation had responsibility for St Joseph's until 2002, and for the industrial school at Upton. He was followed in evidence by Father Patrick Pierce, manager at St Joseph's, Ferryhouse, from 1975 to 1991.
Father O'Reilly told the inquiry that in December 1963 two Rosminians were removed from Ferryhouse for sexually abusing boys.
Father Pierce said that a boy, prevented as punishment from attending the Pope's Mass at Limerick in September 1979, was raped by the Rosminian brother left in charge of him at St Joseph's.
He also gave evidence of three other sex abusers connected to the school.