"There were two different Father Fortunes - the priest who would go up to the altar and give terrific sermons about the evils of drink, sex and sin, and the other one who would talk to young boys about homosexuality, interview them one by one, and abuse them.
"Father Fortune started open confession in the church and then assaulted me during confession. It didn't matter where he was, he was always on the lookout for opportunities. I would read at first Mass and he would abuse me before second Mass, blessing the Eucharist an hour later. He would leave messages all the time with my mother saying he wanted to see me. My main concern was that nobody should know what was happening. I was ashamed. I was in constant fear, never knowing where he would be. I used to have nightmares about him pulling over the school bus and taking me off it.
"Father Devereux was the priest after Father Fortune left. He began asking me questions about Father Fortune. I think I gave him a little bit more than he bargained for. I could see he was sincere but I think he may have found it a little hard to believe. He told me that I had two options: I could take the case to the church or to the Garda, but that if I did that, and there was a case, my name could come out.
"I don't know if that was deliberate or that I misunderstood him. Of all of the priests I came across he was the most honest. At 17 my main concern was that it would be kept quiet.
"He recommended that I write a brief letter about it to the bishop. Then he asked me if I would be free on Saturday (November 4th, 1988). He brought me to All Hallows (Dublin). There was another priest there. That priest asked me a few questions, then he gave me some foolscap and told me to write down everything that happened. He left me sitting in a room, and came and checked on me a while later.
"Once I finished writing that was the end of it. As far as I know under Canon Law, the bishop could have appointed someone within the diocese but we still went to All Hallows, which I still think was strange.
"I don't know how the bishop looked on this because he never told me.
"I did get a letter from Bishop Comiskey after All Hallows. It was such a long time ago now I don't remember the exact wording. I know that it has been said that he apologised - he didn't - but he spoke about things like `my time of trouble', and that he was `sorry about the matter at hand'. He could have been talking about my dog that died. The letter was stored away at home for a number of years but my mother in a fit of annoyance one day tore it up. Back then I was so disgusted with the whole thing that I just let it go. Father Fortune did try and contact me after that but I was living in England and my mother told him I wasn't interested.
"I feel that the bishop put the welfare of the priest and the image of the Catholic Church way ahead of his parishioners. I reported this in 1988 but they seemed to do nothing serious about it. They put him in contact with more people than ever by putting him on the radio and then gave him another parish. I want to know why he was ever ordained in the first place. I have heard there were complaints before that."
(In an interview with Alison O'Connor)