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RTÉ News
07-07-2025
- RTÉ News
Culmination of events marking 400th anniversary of St Oliver Plunkett's birth
A series of events will take place in Drogheda, Co Louth, over the coming days to mark the culmination of this year's Saint Oliver 400 celebrations. The 400th anniversary of the birth of St Oliver Plunkett is being marked in both Drogheda and the Oldcastle area of Co Meath this year. The iconic saint was born in Loughcrew in Co Meath, on 1 November 1625 and was ordained to the priesthood in Rome in 1654, having studied at the Irish College in the city. He later became the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland and maintained his duties in the face of the Penal Laws when the Catholic Church was being suppressed. St Oliver Plunkett was eventually arrested and tried for treason in London. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 1 July 1681. A group of his friends managed to rescue his head, which eventually made its way to St Peter's Church in Drogheda. The relic remains there to this day in a specially made shrine. One of the saint's thigh bones is also on display in the side altar of St Brigid's Church in Oldcastle. A series of events is under way to mark 400 years since St Oliver Plunkett's birth, and also the 50 years since his canonisation in 1975, when he became the first newly-made Irish saint for almost 700 years. Tomorrow will see an event titled the 'Plunkett Clan Gathering' take place at Loughcrew House and Gardens, the ancestral seat of the Plunkett family. An ecumenical service in the 17th-century church will be followed by historical talks, live music and refreshments, which organisers have said will be a "heartfelt tribute in a place of deep personal resonance for the saint's descendants". There will be an evening of music and reflection on Saturday with the St Oliver Concert taking place at St Peter's Church on West Street in Drogheda. Musical director Edward Holly will lead St Peter's Male Voice Choir, joined by soloists Seán Tester and Celine Byrne. However, the culmination of the anniversary year arrives on Sunday with the St Oliver Procession, a pageant of faith and remembrance that will see the community walk together in honour of the local saint. Starting from Holy Family Church in Ballsgrove, Drogheda at 3pm, the procession will make its way to St Peter's Church, the home of the shrine to St Oliver Plunkett, where a celebratory mass will be held at 4pm. The mass for the holy relics will be celebrated by Primate of All Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin, the 23rd successor of St Oliver Plunkett. This weekend's closing events coincide with the end of an The Saint Oliver 400 Commemorative Exhibition runs at 'The Exhibition Space' at Drogheda Civic Offices until Saturday.
RTÉ News
03-07-2025
- RTÉ News
Events to take place celebrating the birth of St Oliver Plunkett
A series of events will take place in Drogheda, Co Louth, over the coming days to mark the culmination of this year's Saint Oliver 400 celebrations. The 400th anniversary of the birth of St Oliver Plunkett is being marked in both Drogheda and the Oldcastle area of Co Meath this year. The iconic saint was born in Loughcrew in Co Meath on 1 November 1625 and was ordained to the priesthood in Rome in 1654, having studied at the Irish College in the city. He later became the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland and maintained his duties in the face of the Penal Laws when the Catholic Church was being suppressed. St Oliver Plunkett was eventually arrested and tried for treason in London. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 1 July 1681. A group of his friends managed to rescue his head, which eventually made its way to St Peter's Church in Drogheda. The relic remains there to this day in a specially made shrine. One of the saint's thigh bones is also on display in the side altar of St Brigid's Church in Oldcastle. A series of events is under way this year to mark 400 years since St Oliver Plunkett's birth, and also the 50 years since his canonisation in 1975, when he became the first newly-made Irish saint for almost 700 years. Tomorrow will see an event titled the 'Plunkett Clan Gathering' take place at Loughcrew House and Gardens, the ancestral seat of the Plunkett family. An ecumenical service in the 17th-century church will be followed by historical talks, live music and refreshments, which organisers have said will be a "heartfelt tribute in a place of deep personal resonance for the saint's descendants". There will be an evening of music and reflection on Saturday with the St Oliver Concert taking place at St Peter's Church on West Street in Drogheda. Musical director Edward Holly will lead St Peter's Male Voice Choir, joined by soloists Seán Tester and Celine Byrne. However, the culmination of the anniversary year arrives on Sunday with the St Oliver Procession, a pageant of faith and remembrance that will see the community walk together in honour of the local saint. Starting from Holy Family Church in Ballsgrove, Drogheda at 3pm, the procession will make its way to St Peter's Church, the home of the shrine to St Oliver Plunkett, where a celebratory mass will be held. This weekend's closing events coincide with the end of an exhibition, which opened last month and includes a number of artefacts and memorabilia associated with the saint. The Saint Oliver 400 Commemorative Exhibition runs at 'The Exhibition Space' at Drogheda Civic Offices until Saturday.
RTÉ News
09-06-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Exhibition marks 400th anniversary of St Oliver Plunkett's birth
The official launch of an exhibition to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the birth of St Oliver Plunkett will take place in Drogheda, Co Louth today. The exhibition will include a number of artefacts and memorabilia associated with the iconic saint that have never previously been on public display. St Oliver Plunkett was born in Loughcrew in Co Meath on 1 November 1625 and was ordained to the priesthood in Rome in 1654, having studied at the Irish College in the city. He later became the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland and maintained his duties in the face of the Penal Laws when the Catholic Church was being suppressed. St Oliver Plunkett was eventually arrested and tried for treason in London. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 1 July 1681. His head was rescued by a group of his friends and eventually made its way to St Peter's Church in Drogheda, where it remains today in a specially made shrine. A series of events is taking place in the town this year to mark 400 years since St Oliver Plunkett's birth, and also the 50 years since his can canonisation in 1975, when he became the first newly-made Irish saint for almost 700 years. The official launch of the St Oliver 400 Commemorative Exhibition will take place at the Drogheda Civic Offices on Fair Street. The exhibition will include St Oliver's Crozier loaned from a private collection, the original ebony casing which housed the saint's head and an original coffin plate from the Monastery of St Catherine of Siena in Drogheda. Other items going on public display are three silver crucifixes attributed to the saint and vestments loaned from St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh and Mullingar Museum. The exhibition also includes a large collection of banners, books, coins and a written account of the then archbishop's trial in London in 1681. Co-chair of the Saint Oliver 400 Community Group, Tommy Burns said: "It is fitting that St Oliver who reformed the clergy, built schools, brought peace and hope to the people is still so fondly remembered in Ireland, and exemplified in this important exhibition in Drogheda, 400 years after his birth." Meanwhile, local historian Séamus Bellew, who specialises in heraldry and genealogy, said: "This exhibition brings together a rare collection of items, comprising books, brasses and the reliquary that housed St Oliver's head, all from the 17th century and much more besides...a must see." Thomas McEvoy, Deputy Chief Executive of Louth County Council, said it is important to commemorate the life of St Oliver as his story is one of "resilience and integrity during some of the most turbulent periods in our history." Mr McEvoy said: "His unwavering commitment to peace, reconciliation, and education serves as a timeless example for us all and the Saint Oliver 400 Exhibition brings this legacy to life in a new and powerful way. "On behalf of Louth County Council, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Saint Oliver 400 Community Group who have organised this exhibition here in our Civic Offices in the heart of Drogheda." The exhibition runs at 'The Exhibition Space' at Drogheda Civic Offices on weekdays until 4 July.
Irish Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Critics of Israeli government policies being labelled anti-Semitic is ‘outrageous', Higgins says
President Michael D Higgins has said it is 'outrageous' that people who are criticising the Israeli government's policies are being labelled as anti-Semitic, adding that 'many people in Israel do oppose those policies'. It was also an 'outrage' that so many in the world allowed this. 'It should have been taken on from the very, very beginning,' Mr Higgins said. The President was speaking to the media after the funeral of Pope Francis at the Irish College in Rome. He felt it was 'very significant not only who is attending today, but who is missing' at Pope Francis's funeral. Neither the president nor prime minister of Israel were in attendance. READ MORE It was not wrong 'if you criticised a prime minister who is strengthening an army that is in breach of international humanitarian law, [and] many other aspects of international law, if there is no respect for civilian rights, in addition to women and children'. The president said it was a 'great lie' and 'absolutely untrue' to suggest criticism of the Israeli regime means support for Hamas. He said it was very welcome that 'there are so many people in the United States , we must never forget, who are as shocked as we are about the outrageous killings' being perpetrated by Israel in Gaza . 'Today we have had a wonderful gathering here in Rome of representatives of government and state,' Mr Higgins said. 'How could any of them remain silent then in view of actually starving people to death by blocking food, blocking medicines, blocking water itself, the basic necessities of life. 'Have we become numb? I think when you think of Francis' own concept of 'indifference' that's what he meant.' [ Pope Francis 'a voice for humanity and justice', says President Higgins Opens in new window ] Mr Higgins spoke warmly of his five meetings with Pope Francis, his 'major revision of the Church's relationship to nature and that's something that is very, very strong'. And how in dealing with migration from 'very, very early on' he was 'drawing subconsciously on his own family's migrant background'. Pope Francis, Mr Higgins said, 'remained more hopeful in relation to rationality and reason, than I did in terms of the fact that we were moving more and more into the consequences of what was happening in climate change'. 'It's so serious that we were going to move beyond the point of no return.'
