“It felt like Christmas Eve… there was a sense of occasion”

The return of public worship on Monday morning was an "emotional" experience according to the priest who celebrated the first regular Mass of the year in Athlone's Church of Saints Peter and Paul.

"There was a great sense of joy, and people were visibly moved by returning and celebrating the Mass. It was quite emotional. Some were actually crying," said Fr Ray Milton following the 9.30am service on Monday.

"People missed being present at the Mass, and receiving Holy Communion, so it was great for them to be back again."

The public health restrictions which brought a halt to public worship just after Christmas were eased on Monday. Religious services can now be held with up to 50 people present, while larger numbers are permitted in premises that are big enough to allow for social distancing.

Fr Ray said the Church of Saints Peter and Paul was large enough to accommodate up to 130 people in pods at services, while still complying with the social distancing guidelines.

"We are delighted with (the return of services), and also with the fact that funerals have gone to 50 people," he said.

"That has been very hard on people. Bereavements are difficult enough, but to be limited to 10 people at one stage was extremely difficult, and just compounded people's grief."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Shannon in Athlone, Fr Pierre Pepper was on the altar for the return of public Mass at St Mary's Church on Monday morning.

He told the Westmeath Independent that there had been "great enthusiasm and excitement" among the congregation on Monday.

"Someone made the comment that it was like going to Mass on Christmas Eve, or Christmas morning. That same sense of occasion seemed to be around the place.

"For myself, it was wonderful to have the people in front of you, and even to have the simple thing of hearing people's voices during the responses. We haven't had that for months, and it was a small thing that you didn't realise you'd miss so much."

He said it had been a difficult few months for priests, as the public health restrictions had severely curtailed the ways in which they serve parishioners.

"It extended across the whole range of what priests do, because 95% of what we do involves inter-personal contact. So much of that was lost, in terms of schools, funerals, Masses, committee meetings… it's great that it's starting to come back again."

While a variety of public health restrictions are likely to continue for some time, Fr Pierre believes the Covid lockdown has now ended for good.

"At this stage, I don't think anyone envisages a return to any form of lockdown unless something extraordinary happens," he said.

"Everyone's perception, across business, society, and sport, was that this (lockdown) had to be long because we didn't want to come out of it and then go back into another one. So I think we're at the end of lockdown, but we're not at the end of restrictions.

"It will take a little longer for what would be classed as our normal understanding of weddings, funerals, Masses and communions to return to the degree we would have known pre-Covid. But we're facing in the right direction," he said.