Pope John Paul II Visit to Ireland 1979

"In 1979, Pope John Paul II visited Ireland. We were handed a small 2-page instruction leaflet on how to get to the Park. Sandwiches, flasks, chairs and umbrellas were brought in backpacks for the day out.. so different to this forthcoming visit of Pope Francis. The excitement then was tangible. I was lucky enough to be in the choir of 1000 voices and had an 'entrance ticket' which was considered like gold-dust at the time! After the Phoenix Park Mass, some of us rushed off to catch the train to Galway for the 'Young People's Mass'. It was a wonderful experience and one to be remembered. A very different era shows today. "