It wasn’t with much regret that we waved goodbye to Sean Brady. Throughout his long reign of church cover ups he withstood one resignation call too many before finally handing in his notice to papa bear in Rome.

Brady was a proud chink in the rusty chain that the church has wrapped around the uteri of Irish women. In 1975, it was with zeal that, rather than inform the authorities, Brady played a part in the church’s decision to move the evil Father Brendan Smyth from parish to parish,effectively paying for a paedophile rapist to go on a world tour.

As far as the public record goes, the Catholic Church is the only organisation in the world to have paid for child rapists to move around unannounced (surprise!) child’s nightmare to child’s nightmare.

Victims who reported Smyth’s crimes initially were forced to take a vow of silence. They swore on a bible.

Indeed, Brady’s long and illustrious career proved to be primarily concerned with the Church’s image, and not the wellbeing of her innumerable victims. As future referenda regarding gay rights and women’s bodily autonomy loom, one can only hope he stays well out of public life.