Almost 40% intend to see Pope in Ireland

Nearly 40% of people in the Republic plan to see Pope Francis when he visits Ireland in 2018, a new poll has found. Conducted by Ipsos/MRBI on behalf of The Irish Times newspaper, the poll is the first since the announcement that the Pontiff will travel to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families. Overall, of 1,200 people surveyed, 38% said they plan to see the Pope, with a further 11% as yet undecided. When broken down by age category, 53% of those aged 65+ said they will see the Pope. Somewhat surprisingly however, given Ireland’s recent history, 25% of people aged 18-24 and 26% of those aged 25-34 also stated a definite intention to see the Pope when he arrives on Irish shores.