Thousands are expected to celebrate their faith this Easter Sunday morning at Dawn Masses in parishes across Ireland. The Easter Sunday Dawn Mass has been growing in popularity in recent years, offering a very spiritual opportunity to celebrate Easter Day of the Lord’s Resurrection while watching the dawn break over the countryside.
Here are details of some of the places hosting an Easter Sunday dawn Mass this year:
In the Diocese of Achonry there will be a dawn Mass at Ballisodare Bay in the Parish of Ballisodare at 6.20am; at Straide Abbey in the Parish of Straide at 6.00am and there will also be a dawn Mass at Craggagh (Parish of Foxford) at 6.30am.
In the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois there will be a dawn Mass at 6.00am on Easter Sunday in Kilmahon. If the weather is bad, the Mass will celebrated in Ballinamuck Church. There will also be a dawn Mass at 5.45am at the Famine Grounds behind Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Longford town. There will be a dawn Mass in the beautiful surrounds of Clonmacnois Monastery at 6.00am.
In the Archdiocese of Armagh, Ardboe Parish Pastoral Council has organised a dawn Mass at Ardboe Cross, Ardboe, County Tyrone to coincide with sunrise (6.21am on Sunday 16 April). Mass will commence at 6.00am and all are welcome. There will also be a dawn Mass in Cooley Parish, Co Louth in Cill Mhuire Cemetery at 6.ooam and the annual dawn Mass in Faughart Graveyard will take place at 6.00am.
In the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, a dawn Mass will take place at 6.00am in Killinan Cemetery.
There will be an Easter Sunday Dawn Mass in Co. Fermanagh, leaving Boho Church car park at 6.45am for Mass at the townland of Reyfad followed by breakfast in Boho Community Hall. There will also be a dawn Mass in the parish of Killanny, (near Carrickmacross), Co Monaghan. Procession from Killanny Hall at 6.00am to the Mass site at Annacroft for Mass at 7.00am. Breakfast afterwards in Killanny Hall. Killanny can be accessed from the N2 south of Carrickmacross or from the Carrickmacross-Dundalk Road.
In the Diocese of Clonfert there will be dawn Masses in Abbey Duniry Parish at 5.30am at Our Lady’s Well, Abbey; in Clontuskart Parish at 6.00am in the ruins of the Old Augustinian Monastery; in Ballymacward Parish at 6.30am in Cloonkeenkerril Cemetery, Gurteen, Ballymacward; in Ballinakill Parish at 6.00am at Ballinakill Millennium Park; in Loughrea Parish at 6.00am on the shore of Loughrea Lake at the Long Point and in Woodford Parish at 5.45am at Woodford Bay.
In the Diocese of Cloyne there will be Easter Morning dawn Mass at 7.00am at Saint Mary’s Church, Waterloo, Blarney, Co Cork as part of the Bi-centenary celebrations of the church.
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart will be celebrating an Easter Sunday Dawn Mass in the grounds of the Sacred Heart Church, Western Road, Cork at 6.00am.
In the Diocese of Down and Connor there will be a dawn Mass at 6.00am on Saint Patrick’s Mountain, Saul.
In the Diocese of Elphin there will be dawn Masses in Knocknarea, Co Sligo at 7.ooam; in Father Flanagan Memorial Garden, Saint Croan’s Church, Ballymoe at 6.ooam; in Loughnanéanne Park (site of Old Abbey Ruin), Roscommon Town at 7.00am and Aughanagh Parish will be celebrating the Dawn Mass at Galilee Community, Tintagh, Boyle at approximately 6.00am.
There will be a dawn Mass in Annagh Cemetery, Tralee at 6.00am on Easter Sunday Morning. The Mass is organised by Saint John’s Parish, Tralee, Co Kerry.
In the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin there will be dawn Masses in Newbridge Parish in Saint Conleth’s Parish Church gardens in Newbridge, Co Kildare at 6.00am; in Graiguecullen/Killeshin Parish at Oisin House, Lower Rossmore at 6.00am; and in Monasterevin Parish in the grounds of Moore Abbey at 6.00am with Bishop Denis Nulty presiding. There will also be dawn Masses in Clane Parish in The Abbey Garden at 6.00am; in Portlaoise Parish in The Heath at 6.00am. The annual dawn Mass on Mount Leinster will be hosted by Bagenalstown Parish at 6.00am at Nine Stones, Mount Leinster. Buses will leave Bagenalstown at 4:30am from outside the Parish Church.
There will be a dawn Mass in Ilaunamanagh Cemetery, offering a breathtaking view over the Shannon Estuary in Shannon Parish, at 6.00am. Father Arnold Rosney will be the celebrant and will be joined by the choirs from Shannon Parish led by the parish folk group. There will also be a dawn Mass in the Old Graveyard, Drumcliffe at 5.30am on Easter Sunday.
There will be a dawn Mass at the Mass Rock on Loughanleagh Mountain at 5.55am. Breakfast afterwards will be supplied by the local ladies. LoughanLeagh Mountain is located in east Cavan between the towns of Bailieborough and Kingscourt.
There will also be Dawn Masses in the following venues in the Diocese of Meath: Drumraney, Co. Westmeath: Dawn Mass at 6.15am in the old cemetery; Fore Abbey, Co. Westmeath at 6.00am; Mullingar, Co. Westmeath at 6.15am at Lough Ennell
Nobber, Co. Meath; in Raharney, Co. Westmeath at 6.00am and in Tullamore, Co. Offaly at 6.00am at the site of the original parish church.
In the Diocese of Limerick there will be dawn Mass in Saint Mary’s, Limerick City on the banks of the Abbey River (Goose’s Corner); in St Nicholas (Westbury) at 5.45am at Shannon Fields and in Cratloe, Limerick at 6.00am at the grotto at Sixmilebridge.
There will be dawn Mass on Easter Sunday at 8.00am on the shores of Lough Carra at Castle Bourke, Ballintubber Abbey. There will also be a dawn Mass at Murrisk Abbey (opposite the Croagh Patrick car park) on the shores of Clew Bay at 6:30am on Easter Sunday morning.
Those attending dawn Mass are advised to check their local parish for information and to bring clothing suitable for the weather conditions on the day. People are also advised to check local parishes for more information on times and venues.
ENDS
