Knock Shrine

Thingstodo information

Knock is the Irish word for a hill, and the name of a village which rises just above the gentle undulating landscape of East Mayo. During the last century and a quarter, it has distinguished itself nationally and internationally by being Ireland’s main centre of Marian devotion. This came about because fifteen people aged between 6 and 75 saw an apparition of the Virgin in August 1879 outside the south gable of the parish church in the centre of the village. She was accompanied by the combination of St Joseph and St John the Evangelist. Mary had a golden rose on her forehead and a crown on her head and, behind the figures, an altar bore a cross and the Lamb of God. Though the onlookers got soaked while saying numerous rosaries, the apparition gable and the ground around it remained totally dry. The two official commissions of enquiry, set up in 1879 and 1936 respectively, found that ‘the testimony of the witnesses, taken as a whole, was trustworthy and satisfactory’. Since then, pilgrims have been flocking to Knock, where cures of the sick and disabled have been reported. By far the most famous pilgrim was Pope John Paul II, who came to pray and preach at the Shrine on its centenary year in 1979. He said Mass at an altar in front of 450,000 people. The altar stood at the foot of a tall Celtic cross which is inscribed with the words ‘in grateful remembrance of the greatest event in Irish history since the coming of St Patrick’. The golden rose and mosaics which the Holy Father presented to the shrine are now displayed on the outside wall of the sacristy and in the Basilica. The large modern concrete church of Our Lady Queen of Ireland was built in 1974-76, and was raised to the status of basilica by the Pope on his visit three years after its completion. It is decorated by sculptures, Stations and a tapestry, all by a variety of Irish artists. The entrance to the Basilica faces towards the famous church gable, which is now enclosed by the Apparition Chapel, where Mass is said and people pray. Other buildings in what is becoming an increasingly large complex around the main concourse include a Chapel of Reconciliation, and a Museum which houses documentation on the history of Knock. The pilgrimage season stretches from the last Sunday in April until the second Sunday in October, and the public ceremonies involve the Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, a procession around the grounds, Mass and the blessing of the sick. Pilgrims flock to Knock from all over Ireland, and now much more easily from farther afield since the opening of Knock Airport in 1986, the dream-child of Monsignor Horan, who did so much to popularise and develop the shrine – and attract its most famous pilgrim in 1979.

Directions:: Knock Shrine is located in the town of Knock, in County Mayo. It is located off the N17 road (take Knock exit), midway between Galway and Sligo (12 km from Knock Airport and 9 km from Claremorris train station).
Opening Details:: Open all year. Main Pilgrimage Season: Last Sunday in April to Second Sunday in October. Main Ceremonies: Sunday 2.30pm, Weekdays 2.00pm. National Public Novena (14-22 August) 3.00pm and 8.30pm