‘Having biggest share of Catholics has no bearing on attendances at Mass’

“YOU wouldn’t be looking at Mass attendance because there’s a lot more to it than that,” declared Canon Joseph Shire of the statistics that show Kilmallock is the town that most widely identifies itself as being Catholic.

Just over 78pc of people in the State profess to be Roman Catholic, but the Co Limerick village has the highest proportion at almost 91pc.

“Statistics are just statistics,” Canon Shire said. “OK, they are facts but that’s what people put down on the Census form. I wouldn’t say much more about that.”

Nevertheless, he said Kilmallock boasts a very strong Christian community, with people who look after one another. The statistics show that just over 3pc of the village’s population said they had no religion, just under 2pc said they were of another religion, while under 2.5pc said they were Church of Ireland or other Protestant faiths.

“We reach out to everyone,” he said, admitting there are not a huge number of migrants in the local area, with some working in the local nursing home.

“But it’s not like in the city,” he said. “Kilmallock is still very rural.

“There wouldn’t be much employment or transport – it’s still largely an agricultural area. We have good land here in the Golden Vale.”

Having been in his parish for four years, the priest said that like most rural parishes there is a shortage of clergy. There is a team ministry which caters for four parishes, including Elphin, though Kilmallock, being the largest town, is the hub. “It is busy,” he said.

The canon describes Kilmallock as a vibrant community with “a great spirit and great neighbours”. The pillars of the town are a strong GAA club, together with strong community organisations.

Kilmallock was represented by four players on the All-Ireland-winning hurling team that defeated Galway – Graeme Mulcahy, Barry Hennessy, Paddy O’Loughlin and Oisin O’Reilly – and the town is also home to Limerick county board secretary Mike O’Riordan. Among younger people playing sport, Canon Shire said there is a “great spirit on the pitch”. “The GAA is the centre of the community around here,” he added.