Cavan parish priest offered "moral leadership in a difficult time” through his homily following the kidnapping and assault on Kevin Lunney, a director of Quinn Industrial Holdings.

In a statement, Monsignor Liam Kelly, Administrator of Kilmore Diocese said the politician, whose car was burnt out in an arson attack at his home in Co Leitrim, had been “courageous in speaking out against racism”.

Fr Oliver O’Reilly of Ballyconnell warned that, “There is an obvious cancer of evil in our midst that needs to be exorcised before someone is murdered.”