Pat Buckley: death announced of former Catholic priest

The independent Catholic bishop, who turned 72 on May 2, passed away on May 17 following a “short illness”.

The death of the outspoken cleric, who resided in the Princes Gardens area of Larne, was announced on his ministry’s blog on Friday.

It stated: “The Oratory Society regrets to inform you that Bishop Pat Buckley died peacefully this morning after a short illness.

"Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord and let your perpetual light shine upon him, may he rest in peace, Amen.”

A native of Co Offaly, he was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1976, moving to St Peter’s Cathedral in Belfast two years later.

After clashing with the late Cardinal Cathal Daly, Fr Buckley was moved to Kilkeel in 1983, before being transferred to Larne in 1984.

He was suspended from the priesthood in the late 1980s, but continued to reside in Larne.

Elected to Larne Borough Council, he held his seat for one term until 1993.

In 2013 the openly gay cleric received a suspended prison sentence for conducting 14 sham marriages.

The offences were committed between May 2008 and September 2009.

Belfast Crown Court heard that the controversial Larne cleric helped Bangladeshi men marry Portuguese women in contravention of immigration laws. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years, suspended for three years.

The judge, Mr Justice Mark Horner, said Buckley - who had admitted the charges - was an important cog in the wheel of the conspiracy, but suspended the prison sentence after hearing his long list of medical problems - including treatment for HIV.