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Time and again in this country I get assured that the final death of Catholic Ireland is just around the corner. A country, unique in the world in surviving as Catholic in a Protestant state, is supposed to pack up its tent and die any day now, according to the received wisdom of the elites of this country.
But a few interesting points might be made on this.
A while ago the government introduced a scheme, which was very highly promoted and aggressively championed by such as Aodhán Ó'Riordán TD, whereby the schools of management of Irish Catholic schools can hold a vote to change ownership away from the Catholic Church (whose congregation had built and financed the schools originally). Despite the massive promotion it turned out to be a complete flop, with the vast majority of schools wishing to stay under Catholic patronage (https://www.thejournal.ie/catholic-church-in-schools-ireland-6353429-Apr2024/).
Starting in Poland a short time ago, a movement has been created to foster the praying of public Rosaries around the world and not least in Ireland. Sometimes with just Men's Rosaries (but not always), and generally on the first Saturday of the month, they have ballooned to the extent that on the 11th of May last, 2024, it is said that 563 such Rosary rallies were held across Ireland, encompassing some 10,000 or so people. (https://www.isfcc.org/over-10000-participate-in-historic-public-square-rosary-crusade-in-ireland/)
These are generally held in the public square of the various towns around the place but last year they ('they' being the Men's Rosary group and groups like Termonbacca (yesterday it was stated at the mass that they were the main organisers), which is a small Carmelite retreat/counselling centre in Derry, and including some personalities like Dana and Robert Nugent of the Decrevi youtube channel) organised a national one in Knock and hundreds turned up: https://www.catholicarena.com/latest/rosaryknock081023 .
This year this very small group of people did the same thing, they tried to organise a national Rosary at Knock. You can see in this very short video how many turned up at it yesterday (1/6/2024).
Remember these organisers are a very small group of just a few personalities, not a real national organisation as such (for example all of these buses would be organised locally, just a person in a town deciding to charter a bus and charge people who want to come, not any kind of national effort), and it is not a big feast day, not a well known event in the Catholic calendar, not attended by any big personality/celebrity, and not promoted, I don't believe, on any national or local media. The huge parking spaces at Knock were completely overwhelmed with the stewards directing the cars onto the grass/lawn areas and the huge Basilica was completely packed out.
So if I may address all those people of this generation that assure me that the death of Catholic Ireland is imminent, Cromwell made a big effort in that department, and many others before and since, he didn't succeed so what makes you think your generation will?
by Brian Nugent
But a few interesting points might be made on this.
A while ago the government introduced a scheme, which was very highly promoted and aggressively championed by such as Aodhán Ó'Riordán TD, whereby the schools of management of Irish Catholic schools can hold a vote to change ownership away from the Catholic Church (whose congregation had built and financed the schools originally). Despite the massive promotion it turned out to be a complete flop, with the vast majority of schools wishing to stay under Catholic patronage (https://www.thejournal.ie/catholic-church-in-schools-ireland-6353429-Apr2024/).
Starting in Poland a short time ago, a movement has been created to foster the praying of public Rosaries around the world and not least in Ireland. Sometimes with just Men's Rosaries (but not always), and generally on the first Saturday of the month, they have ballooned to the extent that on the 11th of May last, 2024, it is said that 563 such Rosary rallies were held across Ireland, encompassing some 10,000 or so people. (https://www.isfcc.org/over-10000-participate-in-historic-public-square-rosary-crusade-in-ireland/)
These are generally held in the public square of the various towns around the place but last year they ('they' being the Men's Rosary group and groups like Termonbacca (yesterday it was stated at the mass that they were the main organisers), which is a small Carmelite retreat/counselling centre in Derry, and including some personalities like Dana and Robert Nugent of the Decrevi youtube channel) organised a national one in Knock and hundreds turned up: https://www.catholicarena.com/latest/rosaryknock081023 .
This year this very small group of people did the same thing, they tried to organise a national Rosary at Knock. You can see in this very short video how many turned up at it yesterday (1/6/2024).
Remember these organisers are a very small group of just a few personalities, not a real national organisation as such (for example all of these buses would be organised locally, just a person in a town deciding to charter a bus and charge people who want to come, not any kind of national effort), and it is not a big feast day, not a well known event in the Catholic calendar, not attended by any big personality/celebrity, and not promoted, I don't believe, on any national or local media. The huge parking spaces at Knock were completely overwhelmed with the stewards directing the cars onto the grass/lawn areas and the huge Basilica was completely packed out.
So if I may address all those people of this generation that assure me that the death of Catholic Ireland is imminent, Cromwell made a big effort in that department, and many others before and since, he didn't succeed so what makes you think your generation will?
by Brian Nugent
..........it's possible that I could request 
I'm not sure actually, somebody said they were based on a patent by a Nugent of Ballinlough Castle, if so they are related, by marriage, to the main Nugents.
