Meteorological Mass for Catholics and Orangemen

The power of prayer over the elements has been celebrated by Northern Irish Protestants and Republican Catholics alike in recent days. After months of cold wet weather, farmers and hoteliers on the west coast, as well as Orangemen in the North exercising their annual 'right to walk the Queen's highway', have enjoyed a spell of glorious sunshine. And they attribute the change in the weather to a special 'Meteorological Mass' broadcast live on Mid and North West Radio in Mayo. The Mass, celebrated by the station's religious affairs editor, Fr Brendan Hoban, came at the end of a week in which a daily prayer for sunshine was said on the show. Mid and North West Radio presenter Paul Claffey told David Dunseith, on BBC Radio Ulster's talkback show: "We have been having the worst wet spell in living memory and it was really taking its toll on people, not just the farmers but people involved in all sorts of commercial activity in the region." He added that he was happy to serve people in all areas of Ireland. * In Killalla, Co Mayo, earlier this month there was one day's respite in a week of freezing wet weather, for the wedding of a friend of ICN. Families of the bride and groom attribute that day of sunshine to their concerted prayers. But to be on the safe side many of them also put out statues of the Infant of Prague in their gardens the night before - guaranteed to keep the rain away.