Michael Cleary (priest)
Michael Cleary (23 November 1933 – 31 December 1993)[1] was an Irish Roman Catholic priest, who also became a radio and TV personality.In the 1960s, Cleary discussed the Catholic clergy's attitudes to celibacy, sex and marriage in the Irish documentary film Rocky Road to Dublin (1967).This followed the 1992 discovery that Bishop Eamonn Casey, also a well-known cleric in Ireland, had fathered a son (by then nearly 20) with American divorcée Annie Murphy.[6] These sex scandals shocked the Catholic Church laity in Ireland, although because they were between adults they were not regarded as seriously as those involving direct abuse of children.Murphy and Hamilton appeared on the Later With Clare McKeon chat show in January 1999 to talk about their lives and relationships, adding to publicity about the longtime affairs of the clergy.[5] The Church allowed Hamilton and her son to continue living in Cleary's house for eleven years after his death, but then took possession after she died.This one-hour film was based on footage shot when the director, Alison Millar, stayed with Cleary in his household as a student in 1991.