Alternative spirituality becomes big business

“FORGET Electric Picnic, go to Knock”. The appeal to the young people of Ireland in a Catholic publication last week was about as worthwhile as asking Archbishop Sean Brady to have his tarot cards read by Irish Psychics Live.

Close to 33,000 people will head for the music festival next weekend, a couple of hundred have already pre-ordered their beers.

With the decadent parts of what the Archbishop described as “new Ireland” looked after, revellers at Electric Picnic, which will take place in Co Laois, will have at their disposal a tarot-card reading service, available close to the “inflatable church” where they can get married, have their own funerals and wash away their festival sins in the Big Love Baptism Bath.