The organisers of the Galway Races have been criticised for holding a meet today by the sociologist Fr Michael Mac Greil. The former Maynooth lecturer said the helicopters of race-goers will disturb a traditional annual pilgrimage which he leads at an oratory in the Mam Ean mountain.
He said the sound from the chopper blades drowns out the pilgrimage in honour of St Patrick which had died out but was revived by Fr Mac Greil and a local committee.
Fr Mac Greil says that he has noticed a decline in attendances at the pilgrimage because the helicopters shuttling race-goers make prayer less easy.
“Spirituality was always an innate part of our lives in the west of Ireland and this pilgrimage is steeped in our traditions and heritage” Fr Mac Greil said.
“But when major events like the Galway races are held on the same day it can take peoples’ focus off pilgrimages like this”.
“There would seem to be enough time in Galway to have races without continuing into Sunday”.
The priest said racing was driven by commercialism and that seemed to override everything else.
“These major events are drowning out community events on Sunday” he remarked.
Fr Mac Greil made the remarks after a similar event near Carna, Co Galway was disrupted by a helicopter landing and taking off nearby.
250 people attended the pilgrimage on St Macdara’s Island but the event was marred by the helicopter which prevented the attendance hearing PP Fr Peadar O Conghaile’s service.
St MacDara is the patron saint of fishermen and his feast-day has been celebrated by seaboard communities, including in Carna, for hundreds of years.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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