The Mayor of Drogheda has backed the priest at the centre of the row about a concelebrated Mass in the town.
Speaking on RTÉ radio this morning Mayor Murphy said he was surprised with the concerns and found it very "difficult to understand all the fuss," adding: "They are religious men out there trying to get people together."
Mr Murphy said all the priests wanted to do was to unite people. "People enjoyed what went on; they don't see any problem with it," he added.
The row centres around a concelebrated Easter Sunday morning Mass that took place at the Augustinian priory in Drogheda, Co Louth, which is in both the Catholic and Church of Ireland dioceses of Armagh.
Fr Iggy O'Donovan invited Rev Michael Graham, rector at St Peter's Church in Drogheda, to take part in the Mass with him, Augustinian prior Fr Richard Goode and Fr Noel Hession.
Later the Catholic and Church of Ireland Primates of All-Ireland expressed concern surrounding the circumstances of the Mass.
The Catholic Primate and Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Seán Brady, said that in holding such a Mass there was "a real danger of causing widespread confusion, raising false hopes and creating situations that are open to misunderstandings and manipulation".
The Church of Ireland Primate and Archbishop of Armagh, Most Rev Robin Eames, said last night: "Such occasions, while well intentioned, can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations at a time when relations between our churches have improved so much."
Fr O'Donovan said he was inspired to arrange the Mass after hearing the Taoiseach call for inclusive ceremonies to mark 1916. He was reinforced in this by what he witnessed in Dublin during the "Love Ulster" riots last February, he said.
