[1][2][3] It was the first visit by a reigning pontiff to the country since 1979 (though Francis had spent time studying English in Dublin in 1980, as Fr Jorge Bergoglio).

[4] Speculation that Pope Francis would visit Ireland began immediately upon the announcement on 27 September 2015 that the World Meeting of Families 2018 would be held in Dublin.

[10] He then travelled in a Škoda Rapid (his preferred mode of transport for the visit to Dublin), to Áras an Uachtaráin, where he met with President Michael D. Higgins, his wife Sabina Higgins, government minister Katherine Zappone, Ambassador of Ireland to the Holy See Emma Madigan, the Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, the Secretary of State of the Vatican Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Syrian asylum seekers, amongst others.

[21][16][20] Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster turned down an invitation from the Government of Ireland to attend the Dublin Castle event, saying she would be abroad with her family at the time; she later noted the irony in criticism of her reason given.

[22][23] Later, the pope held a silent prayer at the Candle of Innocence, which was dedicated in 2011 to honour victims of sex abuse, in St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin city centre.

[25] The first day of the Pope's visit concluded with a crowd of an estimated 82,500 attending the Festival of Families at Croke Park where various entertainers performed.

[1] During the press conference on his flight back from Dublin to Rome, and following the launch of the Equal Future 2018 campaign against damage to children and young people from LGBT stigma four days earlier, Francis was asked what he would say to the father of a son who says he is gay.

"[34][35] Before the Pope's arrival there were concerns over disruption due to widespread road closures required,[36] the estimated cost of €32 million of the visit,[37] protests on the history of physical and sexual abuse in Catholic institutions, and the Catholic Church's opposition to same-sex marriage, abortion and contraception, with former President Mary McAleese describing it as a "right-wing rally".

[38][39][40][41] Coinciding with the Mass on Sunday, around 1,000 people assembled at Tuam's Town Hall in the West of Ireland and walked in silent vigil the 30-minute route to the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in remembrance of those who died or disappeared there.

[43][44] During, but otherwise unconnected with, the papal visit Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a former top Vatican diplomat in the United States and staunch conservative critic of Pope Francis,[45] published a letter calling on Francis to resign, claiming that he was made aware in 2013 of abuse allegations in the US against prominent US Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, but took no action.

"[50] Viganò also tried to quash the inquiry during Francis's papacy which led to the resignation of John Nienstedt as Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.