Gorey man made shoes for the Pope

October 1979

At some date in the future, Pope John Paul II will step out in The Vatican wearing something from Gorey – a pair of black leather shoes handmade by local shoemaker, Mr Paddy Lacey, St Michael’s Place.

The hand-made leather shoes were a gift from Mr. Lacey, who resides at Garrydaniel, Monamolin.

The shoes were presented to Pope John Paul II among other gifts in the Papal Nunciature in Dublin during the Pope’s three-day visit to Ireland at the weekend.

Mr Lacey, who is a very prominent member of the Buffers Alley GAA club and well-known in Gaelic circles, formally presented the pair of size 8 1/2 shoes to Ven. Archdeacon James O’Doherty, P.P., V.F., Gorey, for passing on to the Papal Nuncio, Most Rev. Dr. Alabrandi. The presentation took place in St. Patrick’s Presbytery, Gorey, on Wednesday last week.

Ven. Archdeacon O’Doherty returned very sincere thanks to Mr. Lacey for his generous gift to the Holy Father and said that the handmade shoes would be a further momento of his Irish visit.

‘I got the idea when I read somewhere that a pair of hand-made shoes had been made by someone for the second last pope. Pope Paul VI,’ said Mr Lacey, who confessed he had difficulty finding out exactly what size shoes the current Pope wears.

‘I made them in my spare time at night over the past month,’ he added.

Mr. Lacey has carried on a shoemaker’s shop in Gorey for many years.