Church of Ireland Addresses Financial Concerns at Dublin Parish

The Church of Ireland has issued a statement to address concerns surrounding the financial administration of a Dublin parish two decades ago, during the time Rev Andrew Orr served as its rector. Orr was recently elected as the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne, and Ross.

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The events referred to occurred 20 years ago in the parish of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla. They were investigated fully and resolved at the time.

Questions about Orr's suitability for the bishopric have surfaced following anonymous correspondence sent to media outlets and clergy. These communications, attributed to "Concerned Members of the Church of Ireland" and "Castleknock parishioners," specifically challenge the handling of parish finances between 2006 and 2007, a period when Orr experienced poor health.

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Parish administration suffered as a result and the process of sorting the parish finances out included the assistance of an external accountant, commissioned by the Diocese of Dublin & Glendalough.

In response, a spokeswoman for the Church of Ireland stated that the events occurred 20 years ago and were "investigated fully and resolved at the time." She confirmed that parish administration "suffered as a result" of Orr's health issues. An external accountant assisted in sorting out the parish finances, and the investigation found that Orr had "not misappropriated any funds for personal gain." The situation was rectified with additional oversight from the Archdeacon of Dublin.

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provided assurance that the rector, who had fully co-operated with the investigation to the extent of offering access to his own personal accounts, had not misappropriated any funds for personal gain and the situation was rectified with the Archdeacon of Dublin, David Pierpoint, exercising additional oversight.

The Church expressed disappointment that these anonymous allegations have resurfaced despite the thorough investigation and resolution. It emphasized that due diligence has been exercised in Orr's subsequent promotions and highlighted his nearly 20 years of "fruitful ministry" in various dioceses since recovering from his breakdown.

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On each occasion when he has been promoted since then, due diligence has been exercised in the processes followed. Archdeacon Orr recovered fully and, during the two decades since, has contributed almost 20 years of fruitful ministry in two dioceses, including the diocese to which he has recently been elected as bishop.