Renata Steffens
St Patrick’s statue holding Mayo flag during Reek Sunday. Photo: Bishop Fintan Monahan. As some pilgrims commuted to Knock for the Annual Grandparents Pilgrimage, and others climbed Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday, many travelled to Dublin to watch the GAA Football All-Ireland final in Croke Park, where Mayo was playing Kerry, and won the championship for the fourth time – the first in 75 years.
Thousands of pilgrims scaled Croagh Patrick, many of them climbing early in the morning before heading to Dublin or other places to watch the big match, anticipating the historic victory. Canon Stephen Farragher PP St Patrick’s Ballyhaunis (Annagh), Co. Mayo, told The Irish Catholic he “came back down in time to just have a quick bite, a shower… and I went home to my hometown of Ballinrobe and watched it with an old school pal of mine and his family.”
In the stadium, Mayo was “playing to win” while pilgrims in Knock Shrine were “praying to win,” said Catherine Wiley, founder of the Catholic Grandparents Association. “They played with all their hearts. We prayed with all our hearts. What a wonderful result. It was truly a win-win for everyone.”