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A CONCERT TO be held in Croke Park in honour of the Pope’s visit will feature 2,000 performers and “one of the largest stages” ever put on the hallowed turf.
Pope Francis will be Ireland for less than 36 hours during his two-day visit on 25-26 August and he will attend a large concert in Croke Park called the Festival of Families on his first day.
The date of this year’s All-Ireland football and hurling finals were changed to make the venue available for the Pope and Catholic organisers have today released details of the concert.
Acts who will perform as part of the show include: Daniel O’Donnell, Nathan Carter, Riverdance, Dana Masters, The Begley Family, The Priests, Deaftones, and Moya Brennan.
The Pope’s presence in Ireland is part of the week-long World Meeting of Families and organisers have been working with Tyrone Productions on the Croke Park show.
Creative director of the event Ruán Magan said this afternoon that the layout of the stage has been designed so that Pope Francis will be amongst the crowd.
“We’ve designed this circle that reaches about 60 metres out in to the pitch and there’s a ramp that goes down to a small circle that sits inside, and that is where Pope Francis will sit. He very much asked to sit among the people, he didn’t want to sit on the stage, he wanted to be with everybody enjoying the show,” Magan explained.
It’s one of the largest stages that’s ever been put on in Croke Park. It has amazing screens, which are the third largest that have ever been put there, so it’s a huge stage. We’ve 2,000 performers. In one act there’s a choir of maybe 1,000 that sings together. We’ve hundreds of dancers and there’s one special moment where 500 children dance together, so it’s all about the many coming together.
In all about 77,000 thousand people will be inside Croke Park during the event with organisers saying that Pope Francis will deliver an address before he departs the stadium.
The show will also hear the testimonies of five families from different parts of the world; Ireland, Canada, India, Iraq and Africa.
Speaking at the launch of the programme today, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said many will be coming from abroad for the event.
“Many would come out to see any Pope coming to Ireland, for others, Pope Francis has a special appeal, he’s a sort of global religious star who’s simple humanity and human warmth attracts.”
Pope Francis, who is over 80, appears as a modern Pope and people like that. Pope Francis is for many hard to understand, especially in an Ireland where people have had a black and white understanding of faith. Sins were sins and that was it. Many find it hard to understand a Pope who can reaffirm doctrines and moral norms and yet that people live in grey areas and that that does not exclude them.
Asked about allegations that same-sex couples have been excluded as part of the World Meeting of Families, Martin said that a three-day Pastoral Congress in Dublin’s RDS will discuss issues around this.
“The overall thrust of the preparation has been welcoming everybody and that remains the thrust and we’re very cautious and careful to ensure that remains the thrust,” Martin said.
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The Archbishop of Dublin was also asked about reports that Pope Francis would visit a former Magdalene laundry during his time in Ireland.
Such a visit has not been included in the Pope’s itinerary while he’s here but a report in today’s Irish Catholic stated that it was under consideration.
Martin said today such suggestions were speculation.
“The question of all victims will be looked at,” he stated.
There are victims of institutions, survivors of abuse by priests, Magdalene laundries, mother and baby homes, we’re looking at all those areas and we’re looking at ways in which that can be done with discretion and be done in the time that’s available to the Pope, but anybody who is speculating, is speculating.
“It’s a very difficult situation, I have met with representatives of all those groups, I appreciate their sensitivity, I appreciate their anguish and maybe at times their anger, and we have to find a way we can address those, it’s being looked at,” Martin added.
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Hopefully anyone responsible is caught and locked up. They want death but I would prefer them alive to witness the eventual fall of ISIL. I want them to know the cause they were willing to die for is a failure and will be a regrettable footnote in history.
Need boots on ground to defeat Isis . They can’t be reasoned with
No, I’d prefer death. To all of them and deportation to their sympathisers of whom make no mistake, there are hundreds of thousands on European soil.
Who’s boots do you propose? Let me guess expecting uncle sam to come to Europe’s rescue and forfeit their young men and womens lives yet again. Sure why don’t you go over there and do it?
Uncle Sam was not to fast to enter the war in Europe. They joined the war in December 1941 only after they got attacked themselves by the Japanese. 2 years and 3 months later!!!
Merkel, what have you created?
Blair and Bush what did you create?
Get your justifications ready Brendan good man
Please elaborate Brendan
@Scarr if you look into the history of the West interfering in the Middle East’s business you will see how ISIS is a reaction to these actions.
TTIP, Daesh is not a response to Western actions. The last 80 years are the first time in history where there hasn’t been a large Muslim Caliphate in the Middle East for a long period of time. There’s always been a large theocratic dictatorship at the helm of Islam since it’s foundation (hell the Quran is basically an account of the creation of the First Caliphate).
Islam in Europe needs to be managed and quickly.
It needs to be eradicated
Islam has no belonging in western civilization.
The recent events as well as history are proof of that.
it is not the entire religion at fault , only the orthodox stream
I’m no prophet but my money is on internment and/or mass deportations within five years. I’m not advocating anything, just crystal ball gazing. Solutions to this problem, whatever they are, can only be unpalatable to many people.
Religion is the problem
It needs to be declared a cult and be made illegal. The practices are those of a cult. Just like Catholic practices from 1000 years ago were those of a cult. We need to do with Islam what Germany did with Scientology, ban it, plain and simple. If you are a migrant and want to live in the west you must choose, Islam or western society, the two together can’t co-exist and you can’t have the best of both worlds, not any more.
Stop talking shite lads
This is going to change the way you even get into airports now
You can drive up to the door of our airports. One could easily drive into the airport, straight through the glass. Don’t pass a single security check.
You could set off a bomb at security before you go through, there’s always a big crowd packed in
That’s what they want, create havoc amongst heavily populated areas. They won’t get past security to get on a plane but they can get to a departure lounge when packed without passing security.
I see Israeli security measures next where everyone is checked before entering any airport building. Causing delays and probably more expensive flights in return.
Belgium hasn’t gone far enough with migrants; ignored them for decades, never stepped up when shit hit the fan, even police dodged certain areas of Brussels. No grip whatsoever on what has been going on with them No extra police capacity when required, just shifting personnel from one place to another.
Unfortunately this is far from the end I’m afraid. Let’s hope (left wing) politicians will see the light, finally.
Archangel! Sorry but you’re wrong about Israeli airports. Ben Gurion you still gain access to the terminal building before you start the security process! Still enough space and time to cause damage!
Let’s not forget that up until 1999 all passengers entering Dublin Cork and Shannon airports (and indeed later than 1999 up north) underwent a security check before entering the checkin and arrivals areas from outside.
It’s been done before but IMHO not going to solve the problem. It’s a logic that would have to be applied to any area the public congregate including train stations, bus stops, cinemas, restaurants, anywhere really!
I flew through Ben Gurion in October, bags scanned on the way in the front door, questioned while in check in queue and pulled out of security queue to have bags swabbed for explosives & questioned again. Comparing this to JFK a few years ago when going through security set off metal detectors & wasn’t even asked to remove heavy boots, Israels security is very tight & so it should be. Europe could learn a lot!!
Just another day in the New Europe
Vermin Muslims are at it again, they need to be wiped out, they get refuge in safe countries and then rape the women or blow the place up, tramps the lot of them
Islam should be put down like the disease that it is.
I wonder how the treasonous open border anarchists in the EU are feeling right now. Maybe this will make them realise how f$#king stupid they are?
This could be a game changer how dare they bomb the elite and their place of work bring the Kurds over they’re the only one who are bringing the fight to them and winning
You mean with all those American weapons which they’ve been given to the anger of Turkey.
Two explosions at airport – Three explosions at metro – 11 killed, dozens wounded – City in lock-down, country on terror alert Explosions also near EU building.
That’s local time in Brussels, Amsterdam etc etc Kieran.
I wonder how the open border anarchists in the EU are feeling right now? Maybe this will wake them up a little bit as to how short sighted and totally f#$&ing stupid they have been!
8am local time is 7am here they are an hour ahead
Hard, rational, calculated polices stripped of hubris, self-pity and racist clap-trap are what we need now.
Its only a matter of time before some attention seeking irish “politician” describes this atrocity as a “tragedy”…
Edna was pipped at the post by Rte news at 1…rte referred to the bombings as a “tragedy”…edna said it was “tragic”…so just unlucky for the 34 dead…
Need boats in the water – to get more of them over here.
9am Irish time??? It’s not nine yet.
Time it arrived in BRU
Its not so much an invasion as an inside job…
they can be stopped and they will be defeated !!
When will people wake fu##in up. Open boarders is ruining Europe. Not all Muslims are terrorists but 99% of terrorists are Muslim!
This an evil attack to the innocent people and nothing related to religious.
Nothing to do with religion! Pull the other one mate! This has everything to do with religion
In has everything to do with a medieval barbaric belief system that goes by the name Islam and as long as we have apologists who expect us to ‘ understand ‘ to ‘accommodate ‘ we can expect more of the same throughout Europe , I find it hard to believe that the Belgians did not know what was growing in Molenbeek , can we be confident that we in Ireland know what’s happening in our ‘ new communities ‘ ! I fear not
Well said Mike!
Mike the same faces will be one regurgitating the same old BS apologist rhetoric even after the next inevitable attack possibly Berlin or Stockholm?.
fu#ck off Has-an
They cant be stopped.they cant be defeated.atrocities such as these just further incite and encourage other wahabbi jihadis.
oh Peter Peter Peter…europe defeated islam before and it will do it again. Islam will never take over europe.
John…i hope you are right and im totally wrong…but,the ottoman empire didnt have the european court of human rights to consolidate their gains,herr sutherland as their advocate,herr merkel as their gatekeeper….or any of the myriad of state funded migrants rights quangos (charities)? to guide them through Europe.
How long are European countries going to put up with this ! Thoughts and prayers are not working ministers we need action , Europe needs to gets tough with these radicals before there are any more innocent people killed .
Prayers never work, and those institutions that brought us praying are also responsible for these actions.
Was Joan burton in Brussels today by any chance ??
Muppet.
Acting the monkey.. Oh wait
Thank Allah not more innocent people were injured or killed!
Surely you mean 6am or 7am Irish time? As it ain’t 9 yet and they happened a good bit before 8
It’s not the open border it’s people who beleive in imaginary God’s
That’s your reaction to this??? D@I”%h£?d
That’s your reaction to this???. Media de-sensitisation is hopefully responsible for you lack of empathy.
Europe needs to get tough with these fanatics !!!. Increase bombing then in there holes in the middle east
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