BROTHER EDMUND GARVEY, a former leader of the Christian Brothers, will no longer be acknowledged as a free man of Drogheda after a vote by councillors today which supported the measure by five votes to four.

Garvey was awarded the honour in 1997, but calls grew to rescind it over the legal strategy adopted by the order in relation to civil claims by survivors of abuse.

Labour Cllr Emma Cutlip proposed an emergency motion to the meeting of Drogheda Borough District this afternoon to withdraw the freedom of Drogheda from Brother Edmund Garvey.

A new entry will now be made to the historical record – The Drogheda Book of Freedom, to reflect the resolution of the council members.

After the vote, Cllr Cutlip said:

“As a council, we have little mechanism in place to address historical legacies when they arise but we cannot shy away from addressing them.

“I hope the motion now passed goes some way to easing the trauma endured by victims and survivors of clerical child sex abuse, but that it also serves to remind us that as a society, we have an obligation to address the past in compassionate and meaningful ways.”

“We also have to ensure that as a society we can move toward zero tolerance of any and all forms of domestic, sexual, or gender-based violence which is all too pervasive in our society still”.

The motion passed reads:

“This council recognises the importance of civic leadership in both the recognition of positive contributions to the fabric of Drogheda, but also the bearing of responsibility inherent in all positions of authority and leadership.

“This council reiterates its complete opposition to the legal strategy first adopted by Edmund Garvey on behalf of the Christian Brothers Order.

“In recognition of the detrimental impact this leadership choice has had on victims and survivors of clerical child sex abuse, and as a mark of symbolic restorative justice, this council hereby declares that this council will no longer acknowledge Edmund Garvey as a Freeman of Drogheda.”

O’Farrell told The Journal that today’s vote sends a strong message to survivors but that legal strategies seeking to prevent victims of abuse from receiving justice must be abandoned.

“Brother Edmund Garvey, as European Province Leader, presided over the Order’s use of a litigation strategy that is as far from victim focused as is possible,” he said.

“This strategy is impacting the lives of sexual abuse victims today, the Order will not stop the tactic despite calls to do so and Brother Garvey needs to be held accountable for his decision.”

Speaking on Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio One this morning, independent coucillow Kevin Callan said that the way the decision was made amounted to a breach of “fair procedure” and “natural justice”. 

“It’s quite straightforward from my point of view,” he said, explaining that the councillors were asked to “effectively strip this person out of an honor that they’d received and I voted against it because, number one, we have no legal power to do it.

“We were advised by the chief executive of that, that there was a breach of natural justice in terms of this man’s rights to to be heard and to have the right to reply, and despite my saying this to my colleagues, unfortunately, it went through and they took the action on the day.

“The man wasn’t even afforded the right to be notified what we were doing. The wording was only put forward yesterday and voted on yesterday. And to me, it’s it’s a very clear breach of fair procedures.”

With reporting from Diarmuid Pepper