Irish Mosque Opens Doors to Public This Weekend

For a decade, Al Rahman mosque in Portlaoise, in the Irish province of Leinster, has served as a house of worshipping and gathering for the Muslim community.

Reopening doors after two years of COVID restrictions, the mosque leaders invited the public of all faiths to visit the mosque in an open day this weekend.

Planning the event on Saturday, May 14, Muslim leaders hope to dispel any misconceptions people may have about the mosque and its members, Leinster Express reported.

In addition to a mosque tour, the family friendly event will also include face painting, calligraphy, and henna decorating. 

“The mosque is open more than 10 years now; about 100 people attend the daily prayers and 600 people attend Friday prayers,” chair of Laois Integration Network Karen McHugh said.

Over the past years, the membership has grown to such an extent that the operators have had to rent extra space in the town as the mosque wasn’t big enough to accommodate Friday prayers. 

Mosques in the UK have been holding open days for their local communities for decades.

Open mosque days are not only held in the United Kingdom, as Muslims across the world usually open mosque doors to guests to enable them to have a glimpse of Islam.

For example, a number of countries host Visit My Mosque Day annually, including Australia, Norway, and France.