FOLLOWERS of a 'spiritual healer' have been warned to avoid staring at the sun amid fresh predictions of a new apparition at Knock Shrine.A number of leading eyesight charities have urged people contemplating travelling to Co Mayo to be aware permanent damage can be inflicted by looking directly into sunlight.
It follows the latest claim by Dublin-based faith healer Joe Coleman.
Last year, a leading eye consultant revealed five patients had been treated for serious eye damage in the aftermath of the gatherings organised at the Catholic shrine.
Leading charities Fighting Blindness, the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) and Fight for Sight warned sustained exposure to bright sunlight could cause permanent damage as they launched Vision Week.
Mr Coleman, said thousands of people had witnessed the sun "spinning" and "twirling" in the sky at the gatherings in October, one of which attracted more than 10,000 people.
Reports by pilgrims at the gatherings of seeing unusual phenomena in the sky could be a sign of eye damage, according to medics.
"(People) can get caught up in a situation like this and get caught up in the moment. But you only have one pair of eyes," Avril Daly, general manager of the long-running Fighting Blindness charity, said.
Bernard Jennings, chair of Fight for Sight, warned looking at the sun directly caused blindness as it would burn the nervous tissue of the retina.
"This cannot be repaired or replaced," he said.
Mr Coleman predicted a new apparition would take place at Knock tomorrow.
SIC: II