Oldcastle priest is charged

A 75-year-old priest of the Meath Diocese appeared at Kells Court last week on 71 charges of indecently assaulting a number of boys in various locations around the county. Raymond Brady, with an address at Baltrasna, Oldcastle, was remanded on continuing bail to November 26 next to allow him to be served with a book of evidence. The 71 charges date from 1964 up to 1978 and relate to various locations around the county, including Kilmainhamwood, Drumconrath and Kilbeg. Detective-Garda Bryan Moroney told Judge Eamon O’Brien that when he charged Brady, he had nothing to say in reply. Supt Jim McGowan, Kells, told the judge he would be applying to send the defendant forward to Trim Circuit Court, but looked for an adjournment to November 26 for service of the book of evidence. The defendant’s solicitor, Ms Ann Dolan, asked the judge to caution the media about the dangers of adverse pre-trial publicity and said her client enjoyed the presumption of innocence. Judge O’Brien said he did not think the media believed in that presumption in this jurisdiction, but asked it to use its discretion to avoid prejudicing a fair trial. He adjourned an application for free legal aid and said that this could be dealt with at the next hearing.