Church sources in Galway have confirmed to the Sunday Tribune that Byrnes appeared on one slot about five years ago.

It is understood that Byrnes appeared in the programme while studying at NUI Maynooth, where she was filmed by Maynoothbased television production company Kairos Communications. The church source confirmed that Byrnes was the last person to be pictured in reflective mood on the programme.

Byrnes is believed to have taken a break from her teaching career to study in Maynooth for a year and during that year she, like so many other students at the Kildare university, appeared in the programme.

A spokeswoman for Kairos Communcitions said: "We have no comment to make one way or the other on the issue."

It emerged last week that 73-year-old Dillane, a curate in the Woodford-Liscaun parish, had quit the Clonfert diocese to consider the future of the baby and its mother.

The Bishop of Clonfert, Dr John Kirby, confirmed in a statement that Dillane had admitted to him on 6 January that he had recently fathered a child.

The priest is believed to have met the 31-year-old woman while serving in a previous parish within the Clonfert diocese.