New Ireland

Changes in other people’s arrangements left us with tickets to fly to Belfast – already paid for elsewhere. So we decided to do a hit and run visit to Blogstead na Mara in Donegal – since we probably won’t get there until after Easter – to make sure all is well. Just time also to buy the suit in McMahons of Portadown – of which more another day. Regular readers will know of my fascination with the Wayside Pulpit at Hillhall Presybterian Church, Belfast. ‘Use Sunblock – Don’t block out the Son’ having been replaced by ‘Seven days without prayer makes one weak.’ Meanwhile, across the border, rumours of the demise of the Irish Catholic Church are clearly premature. The local shop in Dunfanaghy this morning was advertising ‘Pre-signed Mass Cards’. This is clearly a church responding to the fast-moving secular society. Pre-baptised babies will surely follow, along with the pre-sung hymn and the pre-preached sermon. After all, across Ireland, Sunday Mass already takes place on Saturday night.