How dangerous paedophile Patrick Barry talked his way into a family festival in Co Clare A dangerous paedophile used priceless stolen artefacts to gain access to a major family festival - the Irish Mirror can reveal. Former school principal Patrick Barry, 80, was hailed as a hero when he emerged two years ago with rare stone carvings dating back to the 12th and 14th centuries. The pervert, who was sentenced yesterday to six years in prison, then used the artefacts to put himself at the centre of the Scattery Island Gathering in Co Clare in July 2013. The retired principal promised to return the carvings to the island and the Office of Public Works but the Irish Mirror can reveal that nearly 18 months on the stones are once again missing. Now a local heritage group has demanded that the medieval slabs are taken from the criminal and returned to “people of Ireland”. Rita McCarthy, who runs the Scattery Island Heritage and Tourism Group, said: “I know that the OPW wanted those artefacts back but they certainly didn’t come back to the island. “I have no idea where they are and I would hate that these artefacts would become the centre of something. “These are historical items and ideally they would be with the right people - the people of Ireland basically who own them.” There were emotional scenes in court yesterday as Barry was sentenced to 11 years, with five suspended, for the indecent assault of 11 primary school girls over a 21-year-period at the two-teacher Moyasta school in west Clare.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 08:51:41 +0000
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