Legion of Mary Annual Pilgrimage to Knock, departing Drogheda

What to Expect

The Legion of Mary run their annual pilgrimage to Knock Shrine on Sunday 27 September 2026, with the bus leaving St Mary’s, Drogheda at 7am. The fare is €27 for adults and €12 for children, and places are booked in advance by phone rather than online.

It is a long day and a full crossing of the country, from the Boyne to Co. Mayo and back. Knock Shrine at Ballyhaunis Road, Knock, is the national Marian shrine, built at the site of the 1879 apparition and now taking in the Basilica of Our Lady Queen of Ireland, the Apparition Chapel, the Chapel of Reconciliation and the shrine grounds. Pilgrim days there typically include Mass in the Basilica, the Anointing of the Sick, confessions, the Stations of the Cross and the Rosary procession, with time to walk the grounds in between. The Legion of Mary is the lay Marian apostolate founded in Dublin in 1921, and its Drogheda praesidia organise the trip each year.

Good to Know

• Sunday 27 September 2026, bus departs St Mary’s, Drogheda at 7am sharp
• Fare: €27 adults, €12 children
• Booking is essential and is by phone: Catherine 086 399 1232 or Mary 087 646 7399
• Bring a packed lunch or budget for food at the shrine, and dress for outdoors, much of the day is spent in the open grounds
• Knock Shrine is in Co. Mayo, roughly three and a half hours from Drogheda by road each way
• Organised by the Legion of Mary and advertised through St Peter’s Parish, Drogheda
• Expect a late return to Drogheda, so plan the evening accordingly

Getting There

The pilgrimage departs from St Mary’s Church on James Street on the south side of Drogheda, across the Boyne from the town centre and a short walk from the bus station on Donore Road. If you are driving to the departure point, park in the town centre rather than on James Street itself, and allow time before the 7am departure, as the bus will not wait.