Pope 'likely to visit Ireland'
Pope John Paul II is looking increasingly likely to visit Ireland either this autumn or next spring, according to reports.
The Pontiff has been invited back to the country to mark the 25th anniversary of his 1979 visit.
Reports this morning said the invitation was discussed in the Vatican last week and that it would be difficult for the 84-year-old Pope to say no, provided his health held up.
The reports also said that a gap in the Pontiff’s itinerary had opened up in mid-October due to his inability to attend a Eucharistic Congress in Mexico.
The focus of any Irish visit would be a trip to the North, which was not on the Pope’s 1979 itinerary due to security fears.
