UP TO 600 people turned up at the Knock shrine in Co Mayo on Saturday hoping for an apparition of Our Lady. Although the basilica was half empty, self-proclaimed visionaries Joe Coleman and Keith Henderson were pursued by TV crews.
Adding to the sense of drama was the presence in the basilica of half a dozen or so security personnel in bright yellow high-visibility jackets, one wearing an earpiece.
Last month an estimated 10,000 people gathered for the expected apparitions.
Many people on that November day claimed to have seen the sun, dancing, spinning, shimmering and changing colours in the sky.
Church authorities discouraged people from attending the prayer sessions organised by Joe Coleman, a self-proclaimed faith healer from Ballyfermot, Dublin, and his colleague Keith Henderson, and this stricture most likely had an impact on the attendance.
Also in recent weeks, a Galway-based eye surgeon had warned of the medical dangers of staring directly at the sun. He said a number of people had presented to him with serious eye problems as a result of their Knock experiences.
Staring at the sun was not an option anyway at Knock on Saturday because it rained for most of the day.
Mr Coleman and Mr Henderson, along with others in their group, were corralled by security and the media near the altar. Brenda Wilson, wearing a 1960s pink Beatle-style cap, led the Rosary with a few hymns added for good measure.
Neither Mr Coleman nor Mr Henderson spoke and they left the basilica at about 3.20pm, again hotly pursued by the media posse. Before they left, Ms Wilson thanked pilgrims and the media for attending.
On a disappointing day, one of the longest faces belonged to a burger seller who had set up his stand at 8am; by 4pm, in the pelting rain, he was left with a mountain of unsold produce.