An annual event which has celebrated a much-loved local place of worship is taking place in Glanmire this Sunday.

The Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in Glanmire was blessed and opened on May 1, 1949 and the local community hold a procession each year to mark the date.

At the conclusion of the ceremony at the grotto, traditionally people take some flowers from the grotto altar for their homes and the graves of their loved ones.

This year’s Annual Glanmire May Procession takes place on Sunday. It will start at St Joseph’s Church, Glanmire at 3pm sharp and finish with singing, reflection and benediction at the grotto at about 3.45pm.

St Joseph’s Church Choir will lead the singing at the grotto and the recently appointed parish priest of Glounthaune, Fr Damien O‘Mahony, will deliver the homily.

“We will be honoured, once again this year, by the attendance of Most Rev John Buckley, Bishop Emeritus, Diocese of Cork and Ross,” John Egan, chairman of the Glanmire Grotto Committee, said.

The organising committee paid tribute to a former member who has given years of work to maintaining the grotto.

“Denis Hurley, a founder member of the 1951 Grotto Committee, has served as chairman for the past 18 years,” Mr Egan said.

“Denis has recently stepped down as chairman and he was most actively involved in the overall care of the grotto fabric, landscaping, fundraising and publicity etc.

“We thank Denis and wish him well in his richly deserved retirement.”

He also paid tribute to everyone involved in organising the annual Glanmire procession.

“As a parish, we are most deeply indebted to the Glanmire Grotto Committee for their Trojan work each year to ensure that the May Sunday Procession is one of the highlights of the year.”