30th Anniversary of Pope's Visit!

Hard to believe it was 30 years ago! Anyone around for it?

in the phoenix park cant really rem a whole lot nearly sure the all ireland football roosies v kerry on the next day

In Galway with herself and the 2 eldest. Picked up what I called then "an ould lad" outside Roscommon in the black dark.
Fair play to him, he was prepared for a famine. About 2 loaves of sambos, flask and standard size bottle of Powers all in sports bag. "The brother went with the Parish Priest" was the opening comment."Not for my liking" says he.
We brought him home as well and he in a jocular mood.

Looking back at it now I suppose you could equate it to Mayo's last A/I win, the last sting of a dying wasp type of day.
Casey and Cleary playing solid fook altogether, priests, brothers et al bowing and fawning in front of JP2 and many in the crowd victims of the utter savagery perpetrated by these "pillars of society".

That was the beginning of the end for team Church, downhill on a bobsleigh thereafter.
Makes me bloody sick, the hypocrisy of the whole lot of them (good guys are exempt from this comment)

Was a memorable occasion alright. The Ma was a nurse and was on nights and we collected her on our five mile trek to the Park. As we passed the Homestead in Cabra the Pope's helicopter passed over - I have a photo somewhere.

There were huge crowds there and the old Popemobile took a trip through the corrals - again I have a photo somewhere. He also passed Drumcondra and Botanic Roads while here and there were crowds at both.

I was watching a BBC documentary on it last night and the crowds that came from Ulster - especially to Drogheda - were amazing.

A great occasion and a great buzz in the country at the time. Looking now at the subsequent revelations about some of the main participants is rich in irony and hypocricy.

How things have changed in those 30 years - more than the whole 1550 years before. A real pity that some great people - educators, carers etc - have had their life's work tarnished and belittled by the actions of sick monsters.

[quote="Jayo Cluxton"]I was watching a BBC documentary on it last night and the crowds that came from Ulster - especially to Drogheda - were amazing.


And then they got all uppity in themselves and started winning All-Irelands and bragging about themselves and posting on forum boards and giving out about poor oul' Pateen Spillane and the standard of referees and countless other matters.
Oh! for the old days when they knew there place and let Dublin get to A/I Finals and even win a few.
Methinks that visit put the mockers on the Dubs.
Anyway....'tis Uncle Arthur's Day....let us all enjoy it. Popes come and go but Arthur lasts, may he last another 250...

TO MARTA?!

To Parsnips.......Hup!

Boxty/Jayo on a serious note would i be right in thinking that neither of you would bother too much with the old religion anymore?

Just curiousity on my behalf. But i did have a conversation recently with a guy around your age Boxty, and we somehow got round to discussing religion and priests and all that. Now i still go to mass myself but he said he had quit the whole religion thing. When i asked why he said it was more to do with the hurt he felt his mother had endured in the aftermath of all the scandals that have rocked the church over the years. She was a devout catholic who went to mass every day and wouldnt hear a bad word said about the priests but yer man took exception to the things the priests admitted too and took it personally as a slight against his mother.

Well I think religion is a very personal thing but I really feel genuinely sorry for the many many good religious people who have done brilliant work here and abroad for decades. They tend to get forgotten.

I think we are far less well off without some spirituality.

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Well I think religion is a very personal thing but I really feel genuinely sorry for the many many good religious people who have done brilliant work here and abroad for decades. They tend to get forgotten.

I think we are far less well off without some spirituality.

sorry didn't mean to intrude - it was just yours and Boxty's earlier comments that got me thinking

bocerty wrote:

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Well I think religion is a very personal thing but I really feel genuinely sorry for the many many good religious people who have done brilliant work here and abroad for decades. They tend to get forgotten.

I think we are far less well off without some spirituality.

sorry didn't mean to intrude - it was just yours and Boxty's earlier comments that got me thinking

No intrusion at all Boc. I don't practice as often as I should but I still cling!

Jayo Cluxton wrote:

bocerty wrote:

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Well I think religion is a very personal thing but I really feel genuinely sorry for the many many good religious people who have done brilliant work here and abroad for decades. They tend to get forgotten.

I think we are far less well off without some spirituality.

sorry didn't mean to intrude - it was just yours and Boxty's earlier comments that got me thinking

No intrusion at all Boc. I don't practice as often as I should but I still cling!

religion practiced one side tonite had a few pints.
sunday/ sat nite v important galvanises people.
Not the best christian but i do believe in faith

[quote="bocertysorry didn't mean to intrude - it was just yours and Boxty's earlier comments that got me thinking[/quote]

No problem at all Boc it's just the memory of the Papal visit that brought this up.
The hypocrisy of the visit, allied to the power wielded by the Church then, was quite staggering.
The Ferns report really tore the arse out of it altogether. The report on the Dublin diocese is due shortly and will, I'm led to beleive, leave Ferns in the shade.
Industrial schools, altar boys, socio-economically deprived school kids......the list is endless. These people should be in jail.
That said I pray, for our children and grandchildren, for deceased relatives, sickly neighbours etc. I attend Mass regularly but not every Sunday and feel an empathy with our local clergy who are doing their best despite having lost the youth in the main.

I'd like to say the whole thing is sad but it's not, it's bloody disgusting.

Boxtyeater wrote:[quote="bocertysorry didn't mean to intrude - it was just yours and Boxty's earlier comments that got me thinking

No problem at all Boc it's just the memory of the Papal visit that brought this up.
The hypocrisy of the visit, allied to the power wielded by the Church then, was quite staggering.
The Ferns report really tore the arse out of it altogether. The report on the Dublin diocese is due shortly and will, I'm led to beleive, leave Ferns in the shade.
Industrial schools, altar boys, socio-economically deprived school kids......the list is endless. These people should be in jail.
That said I pray, for our children and grandchildren, for deceased relatives, sickly neighbours etc. I attend Mass regularly but not every Sunday and feel an empathy with our local clergy who are doing their best despite having lost the youth in the main.

I'd like to say the whole thing is sad but it's not, it's bloody disgusting.[/quote]

What about that then? Words fail me here. Denials, collusion, transfers, references even. Staggering......

I was baptized by Pope John Paul 2nd out in Ballybrit. Sound man

mossbags wrote:I was baptized by Pope John Paul 2nd out in Ballybrit. Sound man

I certainly hope Casey or Cleary didn't get their grubby paws on you that day Mossy.There again, something about you has always disturbed me.. I'll have to investigate the footage of that day again..

i see its gonna cost £20 a pop to see the Pope on his next visit - whatever next?????

bocerty wrote:i see its gonna cost £20 a pop to see the Pope on his next visit - whatever next?????

How many Dutch Golds for that £20 Boc???? ...As bad as it may be, I'd rather go that route...

Boxtyeater wrote:

bocerty wrote:i see its gonna cost £20 a pop to see the Pope on his next visit - whatever next?????

How many Dutch Golds for that £20 Boc???? ...As bad as it may be, I'd rather go that route...

indeed Boxty it would be £20 better spent if you ask me

I'm a non-believer myself but I know a couple of the local priests (often have a couple of pints with the PP) and they are good men trying to do their best for their parishoners so I don't want to tar them all with the same brush, however the church is unwilling to even attempt to change. Imagine threathening excommunication on anyone who assists in the ordination of a woman, yet not one priest worldwide who either abbused or covered up abuse has been excomunicated.
They are more interested in protocol, assuming wealth and kissing rings (whats that all about) than they are in even attempting to go some way towards righting all the wrongs which have taken place.
The church is ran like the Third Reich. It has no place in the modern world.
If a country was ran like the Catholic Church there would be riots every day of the week.
I recently refused to contribute to a fund to repair a Cathedral which was destroyed by fire. The person who asked me to contribute told me that I was a digrace and that they would be telling the priest that I refused to give a penny. (I'm shakin in my boots since) The same person refuses to even acknowledge me since. (Very Christian)

I didn't refuse because I'm a non-believer, I often buy tickets for draws to fund the renovation of the local parish hall, I refused because times are hard and I seen no reason to help rebuild a building which was insured for a handsome sum and which is owned by the richest (and one of the most corrupt) organisations in the world.

I don't intend to offend anyone but as it is now the Catholic Church is the Scum of the Earth. I came to that conclusion after the Bishop of ferns appealed to his congregation to help cover the cost of the abuse scandal in his diocese.
As far as I'm concerned, anyone who contributes to that fund is condoning the abuse that went on.

P.S. I am not in favour of the proposed visit of Elizabeth Windsor, however given the choice of either a visit by her or the current pope I'd personally put out the red carpet for her.

I remember Dublin when the pope came, the whole city had papal flags flying...Every house had something in the papal colours bunting flags..My granny and grandad went to galway and camped out and i believe they were close to 70.......

mullins wrote:My granny and grandad went to galway and camped out and i believe they were close to 70.......

Jesus that was way over the speed limit for the time ....

Jayo Cluxton wrote:

mullins wrote:My granny and grandad went to galway and camped out and i believe they were close to 70.......

Jesus that was way over the speed limit for the time ....

God forbid Doc, but were a close relative in an accident, struck down with a sinister illness or a tragedy of the like, would you pray? I imagine God as a sort of a Bookie. If you don't put it down then you won't pick it up...

In the event of death, doubtless your next of kin will bury you without any religious involvement....Hmmmmmm..

No, I wouldn't pray as it wouldn't do any good. I would worry and hope. Hope that the doctors would be able to save them. It was once said to me that one cannot have hope without religion, that to me is BS.

Once I'm gone I'm really couldn't care what is done with me, but if a religous ceremony would make things easier for family left behind then so be it.