Ronan Scully

RONAN SCULLY, 51, lives in Galway and works for Self Help Africa but is originally from Clara in Co Offaly. He spent five years training to be a priest before deciding it wasn’t for him but maintains a strong religious faith. He says: ‘I REMEMBER the excitement was at fever pitch and I couldn’t sleep the night before we headed off for Dublin — I was 14 and I went with my mother Mary Scully and my younger sister Lavinia, who was 12.

We got the bus with a group from the village and my mother was great — we had dozens of sandwiches made and flasks of tea. We left around 5.30am on a 45-seater bus and reached the outskirts of the Phoenix Park and walked in from Islandbridge. I remember it being such a long walk and we were all corralled into squares and the atmosphere was electric with everyone sitting around, people singing songs, sharing, chatting and praying.

There was great excitement when the Pope’s plane flew over as he came in to land in Dublin and then it was another few hours before the helicopter arrived. It was such a long day, sitting there in our square from 10am, but we were used to long days at the hurling and football matches and days on the bog so we didn’t run out of sandwiches. Everybody was on such a big high. Even back then at 14 I had a strong faith and I still do. I’m a strong practising Catholic and go to Mass and on retreat and I pray a lot. I believe a lot in helping one another and doing the best for one another. I believe it’s important we say sorry when we’re wrong and think Pope Francis should say sorry for all the hurt and sadness that was brought upon very vulnerable children. Inside or outside the Church, this is wrong and should always be reported.

I work with children and vulnerable people — I adopted my two girls from orphanages in Ethiopia and would give my lives for them. I won the lottery with them. All vulnerable children have is hope for the future so when that trust is abused we need to make sure there is mandatory reporting and do all we can to eradicate this evil.

We need to make the Church a place where people come for care and solace.

I’m going to the Phoenix Park again on Sunday with my wife Jacqui and two friends. My eldest daughter Mia wants to come but I’ve not decided yet as it is a very long day. We’ll park in Maynooth and get a bus. My over-riding memory from 1979 was the happiness and the hugging and what an uplifting spiritual experience it was. I’m really looking forward to doing it again all these years later.’