Parishioners and visitors to Knock Shrine in Co Mayo have been speaking about the passing of Pope Francis and what he meant to them.
The Pope prayed before the Apparition Chapel during his two-day visit to Ireland in 2018.
Today, a mourning scarf is draped across his photograph in the church.
Parish Priest of Knock and Rector at Knock Shrine Fr Richard Gibbons said a Requiem Mass will be held for Pope Francis at the Basilica in Knock on Wednesday evening at 7.30pm.
Parishioners in Knock pay tribute to Pope
Martin Murphy from Ballincollig in Cork comes to Knock every year with his mother and sister.
"It's a beautiful peaceful place and I was just getting a mass card this morning when the girl in the office here told me the poor Pope had passed way," he said.
"It’s so sad. He was a lovely humble man and a Pope for the people. May he rest in peace."
Garry McGrade from Co Tyrone and Amanda McManus from Co Fermanagh said Pope Francis "meant everything" to them.
"He was the head of the Catholic Church and it meant more to us as we got older," Mr McGrade said.
"When I was growing up it was a real shame if you didn’t go to Mass. Now you go because you want you to go.
"I find it’s more relevant to me now than 40 or 50 years ago. Pope Francis played a big part in making me feel that way."
Ms McManus said coming to Knock gives her peace and serenity and she finds it fitting that she is here on the day of Pope Francis’s passing.
Siobhan Shinnick from Cork and Daniela Serena from Italy were visiting the area and dropped by especially to say a prayer and light a candle for the Pope.
"There was something about him that was genuine and approachable. We didn’t revere him but we connected with him more than previous church leaders," said Ms Shinnick.
Ms Serena agreed and said they had last seen him in Verona and it was "very special".
Fr David Barrins from Collooney in Co Sligo was visiting the Basilica with friends from America.
He wanted to show them the national shrine and tell them the story of Our Lady of Knock.
"We were in the chapel praying when somebody came by and put the black scarf across the photograph of Pope Francis," he said.
"It was only in that moment that I realised that Pope Francis had passed. Having seen him in St Peter’s Square yesterday it came as quite a shock. But it feels fitting to be here in Knock today."
Karl Treacy from Dublin prayed on his rosary beads as he walked his with his wife and baby around the Stations of the Cross.
"We were here praying for our own special intentions when we heard about the death of Pope Francis. He was a much-loved Pope and was God’s man on Earth offering us guidance," Mr Treacy said.
Pope 'left with an Easter blessing'
Churchgoers in Co Galway also paid tribute to Pope Francis.
Speaking outside Galway Cathedral, one parishioner said the Pope "left with an Easter blessing".
"What's so beautiful about it is that he gave his blessing yesterday and I was so blessed to watch that on the screen and get his last blessing, my son and I," she said.
"I feel so touched about that".
Another woman said that she always considered the Pope a "good and passionate person, especially towards the underprivileged and the poor".
Others said that he left a good legacy and expressed surprised at his death, since he was "out and about yesterday".
