FÁILTE

An Irish Welcome

Next morning, we drove along surprisingly empty and fast roads for a pleasant lunchtime break with a cruise along the Shannon from Lough Ree to Athlone Then it was on to our first main destination, and our first pilgrimage to Knock

I fell in love with the shrine immediately. Here is the presence of Jesus and Mary, and the absence of queue and rush After so many miles, it was good to find time and space to pause and pray Visiting the gable wall of the apparition, Mass, Adoration, Reconciliation, Stations, and Rosary, gently filled the day We had wonderful board and lodging with a landlady who knew and loved the local devotion, and indeed many of the Marian and other shrines of Europe, though not yet Walsingham! She told us that one of the visionaries at Medjugorje had asked our Lady which was her preferred shrine

A arently Knock came out top use of its strong Eucha ent, with the Lamb enthrone altar Make of that what you wil k is very special, and we felt s moving on so soon

Next morning, we made the first of a number of visits across the River Moy to St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina Here we prayed at Father Robert’s grave, and I concelebrated the morning Mass short journey to Ballina, and our mmodation near Belleek Woods ample opportunity for a scenic in the woods from Pontoon where h Conn joins Lough Cullin

We were invited to lunch with friends of Father Robert in Cloghans Fáilte, one of the only two Irish words I know, was on the doormat, and was the theme tune of our time in Co Mayo The local people were wonderfully generous with their time and hospitality After a delicious lunch we were shown the house where Father Robert was born and grew up, St Teresa’s, Rathduff, where he was baptised and made his first Holy Communion, the bungalow where he lived from 1988 when he retired until 2014 when he returned to Ashby, and Lough Conn where he fished, not always successfully, for brown trout.

I concelebrated the Saturday evening Mass at St Teresa’s and met more of his neighbours and friends, who were fascinated to hear about his last years in Ashby.

We made a final visit to Cloghans to meet Mgr Sea eighties still Vicar General of the diocese of Killala Fat neighbour of Father Robert in his childhood and retir many memories to share He took us out to lunch at F Mill, founded by Mother Agnes Morrogh-Bernard in 1 training and livelihood for the local population

We had time to enjoy the beauties of the scenery to when much of the UK was watching scenes of a wet we strolled around a sunny Downpatrick Head and its enthralled by the cry of nesting seabirds From ther the fascinating neolithic field system at Céide

We could not leave Co Mayo without visiting Cro sunny, scenic drive brought us to the car park on views upwards and out to sea were stunning They g as we puffed up the unrelenting slope past the statu and on to the main ridge at just short of 1500 feet met by a lovely new view, the descent of wet cloud, a made it difficult to stand. Ten years ago, we’d have top, but discretion is the better part of valour, so w below the cloud and feasted our eyes on the island during the descent We visited a lovely park ac containing the National Famine Memorial, and then h Ballina

Belleek Woods provided plenty of opportunities for l walking, and a stroll through the woods along the M was very enjoyable

All too soon, it was time to head back to Dublin, the fe home The visit was over, but the happy and thankfu endure