Killarney

By Michelle Crean
<h3>A special concelebrated Mass is due to return to Innisfallen Island next week &#8211; after a two year break due to the pandemic.</h3>
Next Friday (June 24), members of the public are invited to attend once again with the Mass taking place at 6.30pm.
 Now in its 28th year, the Mass was originally an idea by Geoffrey O&#8217;Donoghue who sadly died four years after it began.
 However, it&#8217;s a tradition his wife Mary O&#8217;Donoghue kept and she&#8217;s delighted to be able to organise it once again.
 &#8220;The last one was held in 2019 and at the time it was 25 years,&#8221; Mary explained to the Killarney Advertiser.
 &#8220;There was an Augustinian Monastery on Innisfallen Island and the people, including the priests and monks and they say that Brian Boro, went out there to study. The lake, Lough Lein is called &#8216;The Lake of Learning&#8217;,&#8221; she added.
 &#8220;My husband Geoffrey was a descendent of the O&#8217;Donoghues and he wanted to have Mass on the island. The O&#8217;Donoghues built Ross Castle and owed the lands and the lake surrounding it which was later donated by John McShane to the people of Killarney. He [Geoffrey] asked one of the friars and one day he got a call from the OPW that there would be a plaque unveiled to John McShane and they asked if the Mass could coincide with it. It was attended by Sr Pauline, John McShane&#8217;s daughter, and has continued since until the pandemic.&#8221;
 She added that all the public are welcome to attend. Boats, which will have a nominal fee to cover their costs, will be carrying passengers out from 4pm onwards.

Annual Mass on Innisfallen Island returns

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