In the wake of the visit, Monsignor Horan decided that to cater for the crowds of the future, Knock needed an international airport. How this was achieved , in spite of political in-fighting between the major political parties in the land, merits a future feature, I guess. Weather conditions at the moment are conducive to the spread of potato blight and an Alert has been issued nationwide by the Dept. of Agriculture. This means that farmers are warned to ensure that crops are sprayed and this warning will be taken seriously. Weather conditions this summer have not helped the prospects of a good harvest.
Crops are slow-growing due to long periods of below average temperatures.
Projected yields are wqell down on average. The tourism season in Mayo, as in the rest of the country, has not been very busy so far. Main reason given is the relative weakness of the Irish currency vis a vis the dollar and Sterling. I know of nowhere else on earth where pageantry and parades play as prominent a part in day to day life as in Northern Ireland. Bank managers, teachers, civil servants, et all, marched behind their Lodge banners and revelled in the celebration of the victory of Protestant King William over Catholic King James at the battle of the Boyne.