Throughout the country church leaders gathered to celebrate the last dusk of the millennium. In Limerick's King John's Castle leaders of the four main churches performed a ceremony of light. In the capital's Pro-Cathedral, Archbishop Desmond Connell lit the Dublin Jubilee candle.
The Limerick ceremony involved the local Catholic and Church of Ireland bishops and a representative of the united Methodist and Presbyterian churches. As the sun set over the majestic river Shannon, lay-people joined the churchmen and lit candles from a brazier. At Dursey Head in West Cork, representatives of the Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland prayed for God's protection in the new millennium, and watched Ireland's last sunset of 1999.
In Dublin's Pro-Cathedral, Archbishop Desmond Connell asked people to gather round a Jubilee/Millennium candle at sun-down to make it a family occasion and to take time to reflect, to remember and to make a wish for the future. Earlier, his diocese had distributed 200,000 fliers containing a simple prayer service. People were asked to 'invite the stranger' into the celebration, a neighbour or relative who was alone, so that no one was left out of the festivities.
The Archbishop offered thanks for the gift of the Christian faith, which he said, had sustained us throughout our history in darkness and in light. He looked forward with hope as we handed on what he called this priceless gift to a new generation.
In County Mayo, several hundred people attended a last lights ceremony at the foot of Croagh Patrick and a number of people who have been climbing the mountain and are planning to see in the new millennium on the 2,500 foot summit. Later tonight, there will be a millennium service of song and praise at Knock Basilica that will be followed by a midnight mass. And, at nearby Balla, local people will begin planting 2,000 oak trees starting on the stroke of midnight. They expect to complete the task in under three hours and will be claiming a world record.
