Sunday, January 02, 2011

An Post confirms stamp to commemorate centenary of ‘Builder of Knock’

An Post has given the green light to a proposal to commemorate Mgr James Horan – the driving force behind Knock Airport – to mark the centenary of his birth next May. 

The proposal surfaced last November and the Minister of State for Labour Affairs, Dara Calleary, a TD for Mayo, said then that “The issuing of a stamp will be a fitting tribute to a man who showed true character and sheer determination in achieving his many goals for Co Mayo and the West of Ireland.”

The Philatelic Bureau will issue the special commemorative stamp in May 2011.

The dynamic parish priest faced down bitter political opposition in the 1980s to push ahead with the construction of Knock Airport, now known as Ireland West Airport Knock.

It was completed in October 1985, just before Mgr Horan’s death in 1986.  

He was the first passenger on the inaugural flight to Rome in October of that year. 

The airport rapidly became a success story, serving the large Irish community in the UK who had been forced to emigrate in search of work due to the economic situation in Ireland and particularly the rural West.

Mgr Horan was also behind the building of the new basilica at Knock in 1976 which both improved the facilities and amenities for visiting pilgrims and parishioners and established Knock as Ireland’s national shrine.  

In September 1979, the shrine was given a seal of approval by Rome with Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass there during his papal visit to Ireland.

Mother Teresa visited Knock Shrine in 1993.

But the dynamism of Mgr Horan was evident early in his priestly career when he pushed for the implementation of a rural electrification and water scheme in Aughamore and promoted local forestry programmes and road building, drainage as well as a dance hall in Tooreen.

Born in Partry, Co Mayo on May 5 1911, James Horan entered Maynooth College in 1929 to train for the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Tuam.  

He was ordained in 1936 and appointed first to Dumbarton, Scotland and then to the Franciscan Monastery, Ballyglunin, Co Galway, Tiernea, Carraroe, Co Galway, Tooreen, Co Mayo and Cloonfad, Co Roscommon.

He was appointed to Knock Parish in 1963 as curate and in 1967 was made parish priest.

He played a major role in preparing for the papal visit to Knock in the centenary year of the Knock apparition.

Mgr Horan died suddenly while on pilgrimage in Lourdes on August 1 1986 and his coffin was the first to be flown into Knock Airport. 

He is buried outside his beloved Knock Basilica.

SIC: CIN/IE