From Christian Today: Overseas Priests to Revive Catholicism in Ireland

I love ironies. The nation that preached Christianity with such zeal stands in need of zealous missionaries. Those to whom the Irish brought the Faith now return it to them.
Missionaries march to the Emerald Isle.

But why has Ireland fallen so low? Is it the British? The Skotch? Losing the World Cup? No, apparently, it's the enticing dance of Western Europe:

According to an interview by Latimes with Cardinal Desmond Connell, retired archbishop of Dublin last month, he said, "Ireland has become part of the Western European scene. We have been moving in a secularising direction. But the pace of all this has been accelerated by the extraordinary leap forward in our country's prosperity."

"There's a lot of surplus cash around, and people are enjoying it. I have no trouble with that, but when they enjoy the immediate, they forget the ultimate."

With respect to the cardinal, I wonder if something else may be at play: nationalism.

As in, Catholicism was such an important part of Irish nationalism. Yet another Irony. For 1,000 years Catholicism provided the unity and strength of character for the Irish people in their struggle for their homeland. Once they achieved an independent republic, the principle aspiration of nationalism had been fulfilled. Catholicism may have suffered from Ireland's very success as an independent society. Along with growing economic prosperity and secularizing culture, the Irish Catholics face a perfect storm.

Somehow, I don't believe that St. Patrick will allow his life's work to pass into oblivion. I'm sure he's giving the Savior an earful, even while we bloviate here. If missionaries are Fool enough to come to Erin, they're determined enough to succeed.