A DONEGAL-based priest charged with attempted sexual communication with a child will again appear before court this morning.
Fr Edward (Eddie) Gallagher (58) is charged that on dates between April 2, 2025, and April 17, 2025, that he attempted sexual communication with a child.
He was the curate for the Camus, Clonleigh and Leckpatrick parishes, which include St Patrick’s Church in Murlog, Lifford.
He was also a former parish priest in Moville.
His arrest and charge follows a confrontation by ‘paedophile hunters’ outside a Derry hotel in April, which saw a number of allegations put to him.
A video of the incident was widely shared online.
He will appear via videolink in Court 2 at Derry Magistrates Court at 11am this morning for a sightlink review, a spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunal Services (NICTS) confirmed to the Donegal News.
At a previous special sitting of Derry Magistrates Court via videolink in Dungannon, the priest, with an address at Orchard Park in Lifford, spoke only to confirm his identity and that he understood the charge. No application for bail was made, and the case was adjourned until this morning, May 1.
Following his arrest, gardaí and detectives visited a mobile home in Buncrana on the Inishowen Peninsula owned by the priest.
Last week, the Derry Diocese confirmed Fr Gallagher has been suspended as criminal proceedings continue.
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