| Msgr. Patrick S. Brennan |
|
Claremorris is a town in County Mayo with a population of 3,412. The town derives its name from Maurice de Prendergast, a Norman who came to Ireland in 1169. My father, Thomas, was born in 1919 in a small village near Claremorris called Drumkeen.
​Knock is a village about 7 miles from Claremorris. In 1879 two women had a vision of Mary, Joseph, and St. John against the south gable of the local church. Today, Knock is an international Marian shrine, attracting 1.5 million pilgrims each year.