Keeping the faith: Cork man carries on grandmother’s Eucharistic tradition 

Craig Clinton is continuing a decades-old street altar tradition in Shandon, honouring the deep faith and legacy of his late grandmother

Craig Clifford and his son Kaiden share a moment beside the statue of the Virgin Mary on Cathedral Avenue, where Craig hopes the family tradition begun by his grandmother Kathleen O’Sullivan will continue through future generations. Pictures: Chani Anderson

"When I think back, the curtains were pulled down and washed... the place would have been scrubbed, the paper flags would have been brought out, washed, pressed, and then my nan would throw up her own little altar up at the top of the street.” 

Those are the words of Craig Clinton, a parishioner in the Cork and Ross Diocese, who is continuing a family tradition begun by his grandmother, Kathleen O’Sullivan.

During the annual Eucharistic procession in Cork City, his grandmother would set up an altar featuring a statue of the Virgin Mary or the Sacred Heart outside the North Cathedral on Cathedral Avenue in Shandon.

Craig holds the statue of the Virgin Mary outside his late grandmother Kathleen O’Sullivan’s former home on Cathedral Avenue, where she maintained a Eucharistic altar for many years. 

“She’d have her little altar on the little table and all the chairs next to it. And they would always be full,” said Craig.

“People would always come and sit there, and it was a gathering point. Being honest, I suppose I never really understood the significance of it at the time.

A photograph of the late Kathleen O’Sullivan surrounded by candles inside the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne. 

“But then, as I got older and faith became a massive part of me, I understood her faith was just amazing. She would have the altar out; it was pristine, everything was just checked beforehand, and I’d say she must have had a plan in her head, down to the candles.

“And so then, as the procession would pass, it was a place where a lot of people would gather, a lot of people would stare."

Craig with his wife Karen and children Kaiden and Kaia on Cathedral Avenue.

Craig, 32, said he remembered as a child the tradition and the effort that went into preparing for the celebrations before his grandmother’s death in 2007.

“She used to say, ‘Craig, go up there and get Charlie.’ Charlie was the Sacred Heart... She would say, ‘My boy, go up there and get my boy,’ which could be up in the attic or wherever.” 

The statue was named ‘Charlie’ after one of Craig's younger siblings, who was mesmerised by the 4ft statue in his grandmother’s house.

“She would also put the Sacred Heart picture out on the window. It must be 100 years old, it’s ancient,” said Craig.

Craig stands beside a statue of the Virgin Mary outside the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne.

He said he was extremely close to his grandmother. “She was amazing, absolutely amazing. Her faith was unbelievable. She always looked towards her faith for everything,” he said.

“She was diagnosed with bowel cancer, I don’t really know when that was. But before that, she brought me to Lourdes three times and brought me to Knock a number of times as well.

“But even in her last year, which was 2007, she had surgery, so the Lourdes trip wasn’t looking well,” said Craig.

The Churchfield man, who is married to Karen, said Kathleen didn’t know if she could go, as she was concerned about redressing her wound and could not do it on her own.

“She had all these people lined up for me to stay with and everything because I am diabetic myself."

He said she was hoping a miracle would come out of Lourdes. “And even though she was so sick and she was going through cancer, I remember distinctly when people would ask her, 'Kathleen, how are you?' She'd always say, 'I'm grand.'"

Since Kathleen's death in 2007, Craig and his mother have continued the street altar. His grandmother’s photo sits on the altar, and passers-by regularly stop to remember her.

He hopes to pass the tradition to his own children, Kaiden and Kaia, framing it as his grandmother's legacy rather than his own.

• The 100th anniversary of the First Eucharistic Procession will take place outside the North Cathedral at 3pm on Sunday, June 7, with outdoor benediction at Grand Parade