Joe Walsh tours may be alright for sun packages and some pilgrimage destinations but they are so unsuitable for coach shrine tours. We went on the shrines of France in September with 46 other pilgrims and en-route between shrines we had to endure the most shocking mockery of the Our Father prayer. Some pilgrims were screeching with laughter as Gay Berkery the Joe Walsh representative read out the prayer which he injected with jokes !
It was horrendous.
Later he played a cd or tape which again made fun of our religion and our sacraments which also went down well with those who like to laugh at God.
To top it all off we were made to endure the most foulest of language at our dinner table in the holy shrine of Lourdes.
You would not think for one minute that we were supposed to be on a spiritual , religious pilgrimage.
When asked by another pilgrim to stop , he actually protested and said it was all part of the joke.
As I was sitting beside him I complained and asked him to please respect that there were three ladies at the table.
Instead of apologising , he complained !
When we returned to Ireland we immediately contacted the Dublin office. The attitude was indifference but we persisted and eventually made contact with Mr.David Walsh. His letter to us stood by the behaviour of Mr. Berkery and even went as far as to say the behaviour of all his representatives is outstanding !
A meeting was eventually set up in the Mount Errigle hotel in Letterkenny with him and as ill as my husband is , we made the very long journey there to keep the appointment.
We arrived 15 mins early but 3 of the hotel staff failed to find Mr.Walsh and as it approached the time of the meeting , I telephoned his office in Dublin as Mr. Walsh did not give us his mobile contact number.
The Dublin staff telephoned back to say they could not contact him and did not know where he was. When we arrived home I telephoned the Dublin office and a very irate Caroline Ryan verbally abused me and ridiculed me. She said Mr.Walsh was in the bar the whole time and began scolding me for even putting in our complaint in the first place. She was so angry that I had to end the telephone conversation.
No wonder none of the other 46 pilgrims reported the mockery if this is the method of handling a genuine complaint.
If John Galliano was criticised for making anti semetic remarks and even more recently anti racial remarks are being dealt with , why then are anti catholic remarks and behaviour being brushed under the carpet ?
We would advise anyone going on pilgrimage to find an alternative tour operator as Joe Walsh are not capable of conducting themselves on a tour or able to deal with a genuine complaint.
We are still waiting to hear from them to resolve the issue.
It is very sad when God is mocked on what is supposed to be a catholic religious pilgrimage. read more