889 
There were, of course, dogs aplenty, but also a handful of terrified cats and even a pair of
Given just how quickly we’re all arriving in the future these days, it’s reassuring to have something as quaint and heartfelt as The Blessing of
Believe in dog…
uaranteeing themselves access to that golden cat flap in the sky, there were some truly blessed pets down at the Holy Rosary on this 
October 2018 afternoon.
The good, the bad and the ridiculously loud all came together at 3pm to have Fr John Daly secure their place in pet heaven.
There were, of course, dogs aplenty, but also a handful of terrified cats and even a pair of 
thrillseeking guinea pigs. Whose names, as far as we can remember, were Beelze and Bub.
Or was it Fire and Brimstone…?
Given just how quickly we’re all arriving in the future these days, it’s reassuring to have something as quaint and heartfelt as The Blessing of 
The Animals. Which is basically The Blessing Of The Schoolbags without the mortified kids.
As with so many dog gatherings, there were one or two mutts here today who could have done with an exorcism, or just an owner with hearing, but this was a joyful afternoon.
After a few words from Frau BlĂĽcher of the Wicklow animal rescue centre Ash, and a prayer or two from Fr Daly and his new running mate, Fr Gerard Tyrell, the animals were individually blessed, all of the surprised and suddenly wet pets reacting in the same way.
Namely, ‘Who the frick is throwing water at me…?’
But, hey, they’re all truly God’s creatures now.
And the good news is, Max’s head no longer spins right round, like a record baby, every time we walk past a cross.
