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Killarney parish prays for those forced to spend Christmas abroad

List of emigrants nears 500 in moving tribute

CATHAL DERVAN,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, January 3, 2012, 8:02 AM

Updated Tuesday, January 3, 2012, 11:20 AM

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Parishioners in Killarney gathered at St Mary’s Cathedral (not pictured) in the Kerry town for a special mass in honor of their emigrants last Sunday.

Photo by Google images

One of Ireland’s biggest parishes has held a moving tribute to those forced to emigrate in the wake of the Celtic Tiger’s collapse.

Parishioners in Killarney gathered at St Mary’s Cathedral in the Kerry town for a special mass in honor of their emigrants last Sunday.

A list containing the names of almost 500 young emigrants was placed alongside the Christmas crib in the church in a gesture by local priests to remember those living and working abroad.

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Fr Kevin McNamara told the Irish Times that the move was in response to an invitation, at a carols service before Christmas, to write the names of loved ones on large boards.

Such was the level of interest in the idea that the priests decided to hold a special Mass on Sunday which was attended by about 800 people.

“The placing of the names – headed, Your Loved Ones will be Remembered – alongside the crib was a positive statement for those who had left. We are telling them they are not forgotten,” Fr McNamara told the paper.

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IrelandNorth | Jan 04, 2012, 05:58 AM EST

Best be careful what you ask (or pray!) for. You may get it. A survey conducted in the States some years ago found that hospitalised patients who were prayed for disimproved when compared to those who were not. The essential determinant being the calibre of thosse doing the praying.

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Murph46 | Jan 03, 2012, 11:46 AM EST

Good luck and love to ya Ireland-sensitive stuff.

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joan1954 | Jan 03, 2012, 11:17 AM EST

Ireland did not use the money wisely that the EU gave them. Filled their pockets, perhaps? Money should have been used to create indigenous jobs for the people so that there would not be an overall reliance on multi-nationals. Unfortunately when they leave or downsize there is a domino effect and I believe that for every multi-national job lost 3 additional ones are lost. That's rough.

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ondball66 | Jan 03, 2012, 11:11 AM EST

i always believe its tougher on the parents than on the emigrants

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muirisobric | Jan 03, 2012, 10:09 AM EST

Geeeeze, when I left they had a Ballnight the night before. It was different then. We were raised to go. I remember in my teens when we'd meet at the end of a day we'd never discuss Dublin, Cork or Waterford we'd be talking of New York, Boston Chicago Chicopee Falls Hartford Camden Town Birmingham (Brum) Or Sydney Australia. That's where our friends were and we know about those places. We did'nt go to high school and definetly not university - we couldn't afford it. We worked at whatever and rarely got paid. The usual was "God spare ya the health." Ane then when we left it was great. It was easier to go then and when we got there we got work and by God we got paid. Euphoria. So i feel for the young of today leaving. They went for their education -High School and University, thinking of jobs galore at home and now this. There's an unfairness about it. We had it easy. I wish them well.

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