Special Report - Diocese by diocese: The state of the Catholic Church on the island of Ireland today

Pope Francis will visit Ireland later this year, but will find a different country to that which welcomed his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, almost four decades ago.

To take just one example, pubs can open on Good Friday — another sign that the influence of religion over the workings of the nation is on the wane.

On the ground, a survey of archdioceses and dioceses around the country shows an ageing priesthood, with human resources stretched.