Latest news with #Forkan
Extra.ie
06-07-2025
- Extra.ie
'Gardaí must investigate St John of God chief' urge internal and external critics
The leader of the St John of God order in Ireland should face criminal investigation for the reckless endangerment of children who were abused by a notorious paedophile, internal and external critics believe. Speaking to this weekend, former HSE board member Fergus Finlay said this newspaper's revelations about a St John of God cover-up that allowed children to be abused in Africa should be criminally investigated. 'Gardaí should be investigating that with the view to bringing charges of reckless endangerment,' he said. Mr Finlay is just one of the growing ranks of critics of the order's response to the revelations on last weekend. Br Donatus Forkan. Pic: Tom Honan. These include international funders of the order Kindernothilfe (KNH), a senior medical consultant, Paul Moran, who works for the order, and victims of St John of God, Brother Aidan Clohessy. Together, they have demanded that Donatus Forkan, the Provincial of the St John of God order, resign or be removed from any service provision role pending the outcome of any criminal inquiry. KNH is one of Europe's largest children's charities and a vital funder of St John of God's operations in Africa. But when the main Irish funder of St John of God (SJoG) – the HSE – was asked for its view on our revelations and Br Forkan's position, they instead directed our questions back to the order. Last week, published harrowing stories of child abuse victims from Malawi who had been abused by serial paedophile Clohessy, who was sent into their midst by Br Forkan in 1993 until his removal from public ministry in 2012. Irish Provincial Brother Donatus Forkan, pictured far left, joined Br Aidan, centre, when an extension to a college of health sciences was opened. Pic: File On June 23 and 24, Clohessy was sentenced to more than five years in prison for the historical abuse of six children at St Augustine's, a school for the intellectually disabled in South Co. Dublin, where Clohessy was a teacher and then principal between 1969 and 1993. Our reporting revealed that while in Malawi, Clohessy continued to abuse as his superiors oversaw secret settlements to victims back home and told the authorities he had no access to children. Knowingly placing children in danger has been a crime in Ireland since the enactment of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. By law, a person can be prosecuted for recklessly endangering a child 'by causing or permitting any child to be placed or left in a situation which creates a substantial risk to the child being a victim of serious harm or sexual abuse.' Br Aidan Clohessy. Pic: Collins Courts Mr Finlay – a former CEO of children's charity, Barnardos – said that in his experience of the St John of God order, 'money matters to them almost more than anything else.' He called on Br Forkan to step down immediately from any role involving services to vulnerable children and adults. As Provincial of his order, Br Forkan remains a long-standing board member of the St John of God Hospitaller Services Group. This entity is a parent company to St John of God Community Services, a charity for intellectually disabled children and adults, funded entirely by the HSE to the tune of hundreds of millions annually. Mr Finlay told 'I strongly believe – strongly believe – that he should step down or step aside from or be removed from every position of authority in relation to the provision of services. What the order does is entirely a matter for the order, as far as I'm concerned, but the service provision end of it, the publicly funded companies that are involved in providing services, he should not be a director of those under any circumstances.' St. John of God House of Hospitality, Mzuzu, Malawi. Pic: Sean Dwyer Asked if the HSE should insist Br Forkan be removed, Mr Finlay replied: 'If necessary yes, but I think the board, in the first instance, should address that, if they have the wherewithal to do that.' However, as of last night, both the board of the St John of God Hospitaller Services Group and the HSE were refusing to address the issue. When asked about Br Forkan's position, the HSE said we should redirect our questions to St John of God itself. St John of God, meanwhile, had no comment to make about Br Forkan's position. This silence is in stark contrast to the willingness of international funders and senior medical staff within the St John of God group to speak up – even at some risk to themselves. Paul Moran, a consultant psychiatrist employed by St John of God, told 'I am aware that in coming forward, I may be putting myself at risk, professionally, but in light of the inadequate response from the organisation, I feel I must speak out and ask questions. St. John of God Hospital in Stillorgan. Pic: Chris Bacon 'I am anxious not to scare current service users and want to reassure them that the service safeguards are better now than they were, but we have a situation where, in the shadows, we have this order which sits above the management of these services and has power and control and is basically under the direction of one of the main guys who allowed this to happen. 'So, while the service is committed to protecting people, the people they report to have a record of not doing so, and that raises a question as to who is in a position to guarantee that the required standards are met.' Mr Moran questioned whether Br Forkan should be allowed to have a role in governing services. 'In light of what has been revealed and what has been proven in court, his role needs to be investigated. And until such time as these investigations are concluded, should he be allowed an active role in governing services for vulnerable people?' Br Aidan Clohessy. Pic: Collins Courts Mr Moran also criticised the manner in which the St John of God order had spent millions on private settlements with Clohessy's victims in Malawi and Ireland. He said the order 'appears more committed to looking after the interest and reputation of the order ahead of everything else, including the rights and safety of victims'. He added: 'Paying off of victims to prevent court cases happening is not consistent with any of the policies or safeguarding guidelines, or the stated values of the order.' One of the order's main international funders – German children's charity KNH – last night welcomed Clohessy's prosecution. 'It is crucial that cases of sexual abuse are consistently pursued through legal channels and that perpetrators are held accountable, regardless of when or where the offences were committed,' a spokesperson said. 'Our deepest sympathies go out to the victims. Their voices deserve to be heard, justice must be served, and their protection ensured. Protecting children must always be the highest priority in any society and institution.' KHN also called for Br Forkan to be investigated for recklessly endangering children. 'With regard to Brother Donatus, it is in our view now urgent that an independent and transparent review of all related events be conducted,' a KNH spokesperson told 'We think an independent investigation into Donatus Forkan's role in sending and tolerating Brother Aidan's presence in Malawi is a necessary step after the court ruling. 'This is essential not only to clarify responsibility but also to draw structural consequences and improve systems for child protection,' the charity said. KNH added: 'Religious institutions, like all other institutions, must never evade responsibility or remain silent. Instead, they must implement effective child protection systems. All known abuse cases must be fully investigated and published, regardless of the perpetrator's position or rank. 'Those who have failed – whether through active cover-up or neglect – must be held accountable. Abuse must never be dealt with internally. External, independent bodies are needed to investigate and monitor incidents.' Clohessy's victims this weekend said more investigations and prosecutions are required. Abuse survivor Joe Devine said Clohessy should be prosecuted for the abuse he committed in Malawi. 'There should be a trial, the same way there was a trial here in Ireland,' he said. Mr Devine's wife, Sally, also said Br Forkan should be investigated. 'Although I know he wasn't actually carrying out the abuse, he was complicit in allowing it to go on.' Another survivor, Patsy Carville, criticised the Church authorities. 'It's the Catholic Church you have to blame,' he said. He [Clohessy] was told not to go near children, and he was there for 20 years. It's a disgrace nobody checked up on him,' he said. Victim Wayne Farrell said the abuse of children in Africa was 'horrendous'. 'I think justice should be done for them here, and I'd like to hear something from the Irish Government on it,' he said. Another victim, Gerry Quinn, said the role of Br Forkan needed to be exposed. 'He needs to be exposed and the people who backed him, they need to be exposed as well. That monster [Clohessy] was left roam free over there.' The State child and family agency, Tusla, said it could not comment on any individual case. However, a spokesperson said: 'Organisations who are providing services to children have a statutory responsibility under the Children First Act 2015 to keep children safe from harm while availing of those services, carry out a risk assessment, prepare and publish a Child Safeguarding Statement and to refer any concern regarding a child to Tusla. 'When Tusla suspects that a crime has been committed, and a child or children have been wilfully neglected or physically or sexually abused, Tusla notifies An Garda Síochána where they investigate the crime.' also contacted the Department of Health, whose spokesperson advised that the Department of Children should be contacted for comment. However, that department did not respond. A spokesperson for the Association of Leaders of Missionaries & Religious of Ireland declined to comment last night – but confirmed that the matter would be referred to the next meeting of the executive. Last week, the SJoG order refused to comment on its role in the cover-up of Clohessy's crimes in Ireland and Africa. Instead, Br Forkan posted a brief statement on the St John of God website. He said in the statement: 'I apologise to anyone who has experienced hurt in our services in the past. 'As a community, we unequivocally condemn any action that harms or diminishes others. 'These recent times have reflected pain for so many and brought emotional turmoil for all affected. We think especially of those who came forward to report hurt that they had experienced, we acknowledge their bravery and courage and we think of their families and loved ones.' This week, a spokesperson for St John of God declined to specifically address queries about the role of Br Forkan. 'The order encourages anyone who has experienced hurt to seek support and talk with the authorities,' he said, before providing abuse helpline phone numbers.
Irish Times
04-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
A taste of home: the immigrant grocers bringing global snacks to Dublin
With its exterior the colours of the Brazilian flag, Real Brasil is instantly noticeable on Capel Street in Dublin . Inside, packets of pão de queijo and coxinha line freezers, and condiments such as dulce de leche and condensed milk occupy the shelves. Most products on the shelves are labelled in Portuguese, except for the pão de queijo in the freezers that have labels in English. On a Wednesday afternoon, the shop is busy with customers briskly moving about. Among the many snacks stocked here are packs of paçoca, a sweet treat made with ground peanuts and sugar. The consistency is praline-like, and the taste is as addictive as candy. 'I would say paçoca is quite popular; we import it from Brazil,' says Robson Oliveira, who has been managing the Real Brasil business for 16 years. 'Açai is also popular; we import that too'. 'Biscoito de polvilho [cassava starch crisps], paçoca [peanut candy], and Guaraná Antarctica [a Brazilian soft drink] are among the most recognisable and widely available packaged snacks in Brazilian grocery stores in Dublin,' says Euzana Forkan, a food enthusiast from Brazil with a master's degree in gastronomy and food studies from Technological University Dublin . Paçoca, Forkan says, is a very popular snack in Brazil, with indigenous origins – the earliest versions being a savoury dish made from dried meat and cassava flour. 'Today, paçoca is strongly associated with Festa Junina, a traditional Brazilian festival celebrated throughout June. While we now enjoy paçoca year-round, it still carries a nostalgic connection to this festival, which is one of the most beloved celebrations in Brazil.' READ MORE Oliveira says: 'Irish people buy our snacks too. Irish children like them because children like to try something different.' According to Forkan, Brazilian snacks in Ireland are significantly more expensive than in Brazil. 'Beyond currency differences, factors like importation costs, taxes and limited availability drive up prices,' she says. Some of the snacks, such as pão de queijo and coxinha, are produced in Ireland, with ingredients imported from Brazil, says Oliveira. Pão de queijo is traditional Brazilian cheese bread, made with cassava starch. Real Brasil sells frozen pão de queijo which can be bought and baked. Small balls of cheesy tapioca flour slowly rise and puff up in the oven, with the top turning golden brown. They feel light as air when bitten into. The packs that Real Brasil sell are produced in Ireland. 'My perception is that when Brazilians go to these stores, it's usually not for packaged snacks but rather to buy ingredients or frozen food. Or to buy freshly made Brazilian snacks like pão de queijo and coxinha, which hold a much stronger place in Brazilian food culture and can be found in pretty much all Brazilian shops,' says Forkan. Coxinha is a deep-fried chicken snack, with the chicken minced and encased in a dough. Both the outer casing and the chicken filling fall apart on the first bite, with steam rising from the centre when the coxinha is served hot. Oliveira says that while pão de queijo and coxinha are popular sellers, the shop ensures it always has them in stock. Robson Oliveira, manager of Real Brasil, with the products paçoca and açai. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw This is unlike Ingredients, the Indian grocery store in Stillorgan , where popular snacks are often sold out. Packets of Haldiram's, an Indian brand that produces savoury snacks like aloo lachha (spicy potato sticks) and aloo bhujia (a sort of potato vermicelli), often disappear from the shelves. Haldiram's is a household name in India, and their packaged snacks are popular accompaniments with tea. According to proprietor Melvin Moby, however, the two most popular snacks at Ingredients are Lay's crisps and Maggi noodles. Indian Lay's come in flavours such as Magic Masala (spicy) and Tomato Tango (ketchup flavour). Magic Masala is frequently sold out at Ingredients. Maggi is an instant noodle brand that's a favourite with both children and adults, often a popular student meal because of how quick it is to prepare. In India, smaller grocery stores called kirana shops sell packets of Lay's crisps and Maggi. Children often frequent these shops after school to buy their favourite crisps and noodles. Magic Masala is a particularly popular flavour for Lay's, a bright blue packet with spicy crisps inside. Street vendors who cook Maggi noodles often set up stalls outside schools and colleges, stirring the noodles in pots of boiling water until they're cooked. Stalls like these also often sell chai alongside Maggi. 'We can't seem to get enough of them,' says Moby when I ask him if Lay's and Maggi sell out often. This despite a huge difference in price between here and in India. 'By the time the duty and container charges are paid, the price would be five times more.' Ingredients is Moby's family business, also involving his father, Moby PB, and mother, Mini Moby. He took over 10 years ago, and his brother Ivin Moby and he are responsible for scaling it now, he says. 'I've always been around it so I had an interest in scaling it.' He grew up in Ireland and so enjoyed snacks such as Tayto, but wanted Lay's and Maggi when he went to India. 'There was a nostalgic factor for me, and I see Irish kids enjoying a mix of both Irish and imported snacks.' [ West African food is finally taking its place at Irish tables Opens in new window ] Besides packaged snacks, Ingredients also sells fresh vegetables and herbs. Bunches of bright green coriander and mint lie on shelves, next to refrigerated radishes and chillies. Yes Kabayan, a Filipino shop in Dublin city centre, doesn't stock fresh vegetables or herbs but brings packaged Filipino snacks to Dublin. Jars of peanut butter are stacked above jars of coconut gel in syrup. There's dried fish in the freezer and pinoy hopia (a kind of Filipino pastry) in a basket near the counter. Another Filipino shop, Pinoy Sari Sari on Mary Street, is bigger with more snacks on offer. The refrigerators stock aubergine, karela and okra, and the snacks section has pandesal (Filipino bread rolls), coconut gel in syrup and butter coconut biscuits. Goldilocks polvoron, a popular Filipino shortbread 'The most popular packaged snacks that are widely available outside of the Philippines are Boy Bawang, Ding Dong, Piattos, Chiz Curlz, Sweet Corn, polvoron (a type of shortbread, usually the Goldilocks brand), and dried mangoes (any brand),' says Krissel Alcaraz, a Dublin-based Filipino-Australian food content creator known as Porkyeah on Instagram. 'Food is such a huge part of Filipino culture; after greeting someone, we usually say 'kumain ka na ba?', which means 'have you eaten?',' she says. Boy Bawang Cornick, a packaged corn snack, is on the shelves at both Yes Kabayan and Pinoy Sari Sari. 'Boy Bawang is pretty popular – its literal translation from Tagalog (Filipino) is 'garlic boy'. Garlic is used in almost all of our savoury dishes,' says Alcaraz. 'I suppose Boy Bawang is the popular manufactured version of cornick or corn nuts, but I remember when I was a kid that people sold these in little plastic bags, packed full of salt and garlic. I saw vendors selling them on the streets, but it has now moved on to fancy-looking packaging.' Alcaraz says the snacks here are far costlier than in the Philippines. 'The exchange rate is currently around €1 to 65 Philippine pesos. Boy Bawang, for example, can be bought in a popular high-end supermarket in the Philippines, for around 70 cent and would be even cheaper in 'sari-sari' stores (small convenience stores), but in Ireland it costs around €2. This is why every time I have the chance to visit the Philippines, I stock up a lot on snacks.' Alcaraz was reared in Australia , but she loved Filipino snacks growing up there. 'It's also nostalgic to buy them now as an adult. I love checking out the Asian supermarkets here as it brings back memories of all the snacks I used to eat when I was still living in the Philippines as a kid.' Browsing the aisles or shelves of grocery stores can hold special importance for immigrants seeking familiarity and comfort from home. Food, especially when coupled with nostalgia, is a powerful emotional connector. Packaged snacks have their own place in this realm, whether it be the memories they conjure, or simply having a stock of the familiar in a new country. These snacks at Dublin's immigrant-owned grocery stores are markers of what it feels like to have a home away from home, bringing communities together over a shared love of snacking.
