‘There was no holy water again’: Mayo councillors unhappy over absent blessings at official events
It was a proud day in Westport yesterday as the sod was officially turned on the former Sisters of Mercy Convent site, marking the start of its long-awaited redevelopment into a multi-use community space.
However, the occasion once again sparked discussion among councillors about the lack of a clerical blessing at such ceremonies.
This is the fourth event in recent weeks where councillors have raised concerns over the absence of a religious blessing.
Similar feelings were voiced last month following the opening of two new housing estates in Westport and Mulranny, and the opening of a new athletics track in the town, none of which included a priestly blessing.
This led to councillors in the Westport and Belmullet Municipal District highlighting the importance of tradition, as new developments and community projects would normally be blessed.
Cllr Brendan Mulroy noted that while the redevelopment of the convent site was an "immensely proud day”, something was missing.
"We were lacking holy water; there was no holy water again," he said.
Cllr Mulroy questioned whether Mayo County Council intended to continue to remove religious elements entirely from future ceremonies.
"At this stage, I'm wondering if Mayo County Council, going forward, are going to leave out all different religious groups for sod turning ceremonies? How is that going to look?" he asked the meeting.
Cllr Mulroy stated that all religious backgrounds should be invited to these events in the future in the name of tradition and inclusivity.
"We should be inviting all different churches to be there, and anyone who wants to say prayers, from whatever religious background, I think it would be a nice touch,
"We have so many multicultural people in Westport from different backgrounds, and we all unite together," he said.
Cllr Mulroy warned that a "dangerous precedent" was being set by not having blessings, describing the tradition as part of the community's shared heritage.
His comments were echoed by Cllr John O'Malley, who first raised this matter at last month's municipal district meeting after three development openings went ahead with no blessings taking place at the ceremonies.
"I hope that when it's opened in 2028, there will be a blessing there," he said, "To leave nobody out is the key. There should be a blessing, it's part of our tradition."
During the September meeting, Cllr O'Malley told his colleagues that an objection had prevented the blessing of the new athletics track from taking place.
He reminded the meeting that it has long been a custom for the local priest to bless new developments, and warned that moving away from the practice could mean losing touch with long-established traditions.
"I think we are creating a very bad society for ourselves," he said at the time, "In future, we want to make sure that developments get the blessing of a priest when it is a public project like that."
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.