For a glimpse into how Catholic Ireland has changed over the years, one might do worse than to take a peek at a celebratory dinner for 400 being held tonight in the Royal Dublin Hotel.
The Catholic Young Men's Society is hosting a meal there to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Many young Catholic men will attend, though perhaps unexpectedly there will also be quite a few older men and even some women.
This social and spiritual organisation, with a penchant for snooker, darts and trips to Knock, was founded in Limerick in 1849 by Father Richard Baptist O'Brien. The society's history explains that Father O'Brien met 24 labouring men in the upper room of a small two-storey cottage on May 19th.
Their purpose: to found the Young Men's Society of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Its purpose: to foster "by mutual union and co-operation, and by priestly guidance, the spiritual, intellectual, social and physical welfare of its members".
"It was the end of the Famine," says the present CYMS secretary, Tom Sheridan, "and there was a lot of despondency around. I suppose Father O'Brien saw strength, and hope, in numbers."
Within a year some 2,000 men had joined; the first English branch was founded in Sheffield in 1854; several opened across Britain, followed by more in Australia and South Africa.
Peter Doyle (35) joined Ringsend CYMS in Dublin when he was 11 "for the social aspect".
"I had brothers who were members and it was a place you could go to play snooker and darts . . . I moved from Ringsend 10 years ago, to live in Knocklyon [about four miles away], but I'd still go back about two nights a week to see the lads."
Tony Faulkner (30), also a member in Ringsend, joined when he was 14.
"You don't pay much attention to the spiritual side of things at that age," he says. "There was rosary every other Friday and they'd organise trips to Knock, but I joined because I had friends there and there was nowhere else to go. There was always a guiding set of morals and values and, looking back, that was valuable."
Though membership numbers are difficult to pinpoint, at its height in the 1950s the CYMS boasted more than 100 branches throughout Ireland. Today there are just 17.
"Membership has declined," says Sheridan, "and something will have to be done to address that."
The society has shown itself capable of change. It was very strong, "particularly in the 1930s", says Sheridan.
"It contributed to the national debate and played a big part in the development of social thinking." Today it is more a society for private individuals to share their Catholicism, debate ideas and socialise.
The church hierarchy is less important. Where the church used to appoint a director-general to the society, two years ago it did away with the authoritarian title and appointed Bishop Donal Murray of Limerick as the society's first patron. And, in a move many would say put the society ahead of its time, it voted in 1984 to change its constitution to allow young Catholic women to join. Perhaps unfortunately, however, they did not change the society's name, and there have been few female applicants.
Sheridan says members have been dismayed at recent scandals in the church, but says the society is only more determined to "emphasise the positive contribution Catholicism can make to people's lives".
At 3 p.m. today there will be a Mass at the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin, celebrated by Dr Desmond Connell, Archbishop of Dublin, to mark 150 years of the CYMS