ALMOST 50 years after another boyband laid claim to being "more
popular than Jesus", a Roman Catholic school in Ireland has decided
that, despite clashing with a One Direction concert, the date of
its pupils' first holy communion should not be altered.
Pupils in the Second Class (age seven to nine) of Gaelscoil an
Ráithín, in Limerick, are due to make their first holy communion on
24 May next year, when One Direction are to perform in Croke Park,
in Dublin.
Families of pupils with tickets to the concert asked
whether the school could change the date.
On Thursday of last week, the school said that all parents had
been balloted on the matter: "The result of that ballot has been
overwhelmingly in favour of retaining the original date. Staff,
parents, and children of Gaelscoil an Ráithín look forward to
preparing for this very special celebration next May."
The Belfast Telegraph reported last Friday that, before
the ballot, an "extremely heated" meeting had taken place between
parents.
It reported that a number of schools in Cork and Dublin
had selected first-communion dates to avoid a clash with the
concerts, which sold out within minutes.
Tickets to the concert on
24 May are selling on eBay for up to £1148.