A VETERAN of the civil rights movement has claimed there was more than one alleged sex abuser at a prestigious Catholic grammar school in Derry.
Former St Columb's College pupil Eamonn McCann was speaking after a series of historical sex abuse allegations were made against former teacher Raymond Gallagher.
The Irish News revealed how Derry man Terry Doran was paid £50,000 over claims he was sexually abused at the college.
In 2015 Mr Doran received the huge settlement after taking a case against the college and Gallagher, a former music and Irish teacher who died in 2007.
A spokesman for the Catholic diocese of Derry has confirmed it “was not party to the proceedings and made no contribution to the settlement”.
In statements made to the PSNI as an adult, Mr Doran said he sometimes prayed as he was being subjected to some of the most shocking forms of sexual abuse.
The PSNI has said it received four reports of “alleged historical sexual abuse dating back to the 1970s/80s” and that historic allegations of abuse at St Columb's are included in Operation Charwell.
Veteran politician and former MLA Eamon McCann has spoken of being taught by Gallagher, who was known as Raymie to pupils, but was never interfered with by him.
"It is fair to say there were rumours, and there were more than rumours, stories about Raymie Gallagher swirling around in St Columb's, certainly among my year," he said.
"Raymie Gallagher was discussed by older boys in a sniggering tone of voice in that it didn't occur to myself or to anybody of my age group really that there was anything particularly reprehensible.
"We knew it was wrong but it didn't spark the outrage which it would properly spark today."
Mr McCann said the abuse of pupils at the college was well known.
Mr McCann added he was "aware of him (Gallagher) and I was aware of what was being said about him".
Mr McCann also revealed his belief that Gallagher was not alone in preying on young boys at the school.
"It should be said that Raymie Gallagher was not the only teacher at St Columb's College who interfered with young boys, by no means," he said.
He added that "to my knowledge it wasn't only Raymond Gallagher who sexually abused boys in St Columb's College."
Mr McCann said that despite the activities of Gallagher being well known for him the daily school routine continued as normal.
"I was not going traumatised into St Columb's every day with fear, certainly not, certainly not," he said.
"I wouldn't like to give the impression that St Columb's was a place where there was constant sexual abuse of boys and that you were constantly afraid of it.
"That would be untrue, that wasn't the atmosphere at St Columb's, but we knew such things were happening."
St Columb's College was contacted for comment.
