According to The Irish News, a complainant claimed it was ‘an open secret’ within Maynooth that Gallagher was someone to be avoided

Fresh reports claim the disgraced cleric targeted 18-year-old students with highly intrusive questioning and inappropriate advances during seminary visits .

The Derry Diocese said it received no prior concerns or complaints relating to paedophile priest Fr Edward Gallagher's conduct with seminarians before his arrest, following fresh allegations of alleged grooming and inappropriate behaviour during visits to Maynooth seminary.

In its October 22 edition, The Irish News reported that an anonymous former seminarian, who was 18 at the time, claimed they made separate formal complaints to two senior priests in the Diocese of Derry regarding Gallagher's conduct in the late 1990s.

As reported in the Irish News article, it was alleged Gallagher asked intrusive questions about whether seminarians had girlfriends, frequently complimented them on their appearance and invited them to go for drives with him.

The former seminarian said that he found Gallagher intimidating and had warned other students not to be alone with him. According to The Irish News, the complainant claimed it was "an open secret" within Maynooth that Gallagher was someone to be avoided.

Following publication of the report, the Derry Journal contacted the Diocese of Derry for comment.

In a statement, a diocesan spokesperson said the Diocese had no prior concerns or complaints relating to Gallagher's conduct with seminarians before his arrest.

"The Diocese of Derry, before Fr Edward Gallagher's arrest, had no knowledge, suspicions, concerns, or allegations about him in relation to children; nor is there any record of concerns expressed regarding his conduct with seminarians," the spokesperson said.

"The information the diocese now has in relation to the unidentified former seminarian, as reported in The Irish News on October 22, is substantially that published by The Irish News.

"The diocese remains committed to supporting those affected, to maintaining the highest safeguarding standards and to ensuring its continued full cooperation with the civil authorities."

Earlier this month, Gallagher pleaded guilty to 109 sex offences at Derry Crown Court.

He was charged with 43 counts of attempted sexual communication with a child under 16, 43 charges of indecent images of children, 13 counts of possession of indecent images of a child, 2 counts of possessing images of a child and possessing an extreme pornographic image.

He was also charged with 5 counts of attempting to encourage a child to engage in sexual activity, attempted sexual communication with a child under 16 and distributing indecent images.

All of the charges related to dates between June 22 2023 and April 18 2025.