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Were you around for the Pope's visit in 1979? We want to see your memorabilia

Time to dig through the attic.

pope jp Pope John Paul II during his visit to Ireland in September 1979 Anwar Hussein / PA Images Anwar Hussein / PA Images / PA Images

THE POPE’S VISIT to Ireland in 1979 was a massive occasion, and stands as likely the all-time high point for the Catholic Church in Ireland.

In an Ireland before the scandals of the 1990s hit, millions of people attended events across the country in the hope of seeing John Paul II.

His stirring speeches – with the famous line, ‘Young people of Ireland, I love you’ – left an palpable impact on Irish Catholics for years.

The man himself was a hugely iconic figure in the late 20th century, spawning many pieces of religious memorabilia. There was even a dress-doll book dedicated to him.

A new wave of this has already started to appear as the country gears up for the visit of Pope Francis. Lolli-popes, anyone?

We want to see if you have anything lying around from the previous visit of Pope John Paul II – it could be a flyer about an event or an item relating to the day.

Maybe you were there yourself, or maybe you know of something tucked away in a relative’s attic.

Email news@thejournal.ie with some information about what you have, and a picture as well if you can. 

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