Mass influx for Ash Wednesday services

In the beautiful setting of St Peter and Paul’s Church, the congregation has temporarily swelled to almost 300 people — all marking the start of Lent with heads bowed, knees bent, and foreheads daubed in ash.

But a packed-to-the-rafters situation is far from the norm in Cork City, according to practising Catholic Richard O’Mahony, who is originally from Waterford.