‘We’re either lucky or someone was looking out for us’
Sisters Claire Ahern and Hilda Clarke from Caherdavin, Limerick, unmistakeable with their tricolours and Ireland T-shirts from World Cup 2002, could hardly believe how their hurried travel arrangements came together.
They arrived in Rome on Wednesday and spent all night queuing to file past the Pope's remains. After 14 hours they got into St Peter's Basilica and decided they would try their luck again yesterday to see if they could get into the square for his funeral.
"We only came at 8.30am, we were so exhausted," said Hilda. "We just said we won't go the same way as everybody was going and the next thing we found an entrance where there was no queue. "I think someone was watching out for us. We were really blessed."
"I cried the whole time," said Claire. "It was a combination of things the thrill of getting here at all and the sadness of seeing the Pope leave us. It was very emotional."
Margaret Tiernan, from Drogheda; her sister, Dympna Coyle from nearby Townrath and Dympna's daughter, Margaret, had been in Rome two nights and spent both of them on the streets, first to queue for the lying-in-state and then for the funeral.
But they barely noticed their stiff limbs, lack of sleep and craving for a hot shower. "Every second was worth it," said young Margaret. "I would have stayed twice as long," said Dympna. "He gave us strength," she added, nodding to a picture of the Pope, amazed at her own stamina. "I can't even think of going home."
Not long ago, Margaret senior couldn't even think of leaving home. "I was ill and in and out hospitals and I never thought I'd be right again never mind being here. He gave me comfort and I prayed to him and for him because I knew he was suffering too."
The trio spent the nights in the company of many nationalities, joining in the multi-lingual rosaries organised by Polish pilgrims in the queue. "There were Polish, Spanish, French and Italian as well and I was asked to do a decade for the Irish," said Dympna.
Margaret junior was touched.
"Being young and going to Mass, well, you know. Sometimes on a Sunday morning after being out the night before you forget all about going to Mass. But it's been a big eye-opener for me when you see the amount of young people here and how devout they are. I really will make a better effort now when I go home."
"It has moved us all," said Dympna. "The last moments, when they were lifting the coffin and taking it inside, were very touching."
Caroline Quirke from Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick and Paul Kelly from Strandhill, Co Sligo will never forget their honeymoon which turned into a pilgrimage after they found themselves in the midst of Rome's mourning after getting married at home on Easter Monday.
"We were only meant to have five days in Rome because were going to travel around but then this happened and we decided to stay," said Paul, an engineer who moved with Caroline to California last year.
"You can't help but come here. We just feel very drawn," said Caroline. "It's very overwhelming, especially for people from Poland.
It's incredible the devotion people have."
The young couple had tried queuing to file past the Pope's remains but were turned back and they held out little hope of getting to be at his funeral. Out of curiosity, they came to the fringes of the Vatican, saw a line of moving people to the side, joined in, kept their heads down and found themselves close to the front of the basilica.
"I don't know how it happened but I'm delighted it did. It was very moving. I feel we've been part of something very special."
Last minute plans also paid off for Richard Egan, an educational psychologist from Ennis, and Geraldine Creaton, a pharmacist from Limerick city. They got flights on Thursday and are going home today, having also got a space near the front of the crowd.
"I've been at three World Youth Days [started by the Pope] and I just wanted to say thanks to him. I also studied here for a year in 1989 and I used to rush past St Peter's Square and there'd be canonizations or other services going on and I'd say sorry Papa, I have class now. It's nice to come back and not rush by him," said Geraldine.
Richard, who won a toss-up with his wife over which of them would come and who would stay with the children, felt he was representing all of his family, friends and acquaintances and saying their farewells for them.
He added: "We just sort of ended up in the right place to get in. I don't know how we managed it. We're either very lucky or someone was looking out for us."
