Thousands of Notre Dame fans will descend on the religious site of Knock and nearby Croagh Patrick on Monday, September 3rd after the football game  between Notre Dame and Navy in Dublin on Saturday, September 1st.

Another highlight of the program around the game will be the Notre Dame Welcome Home event, which will be televised live on Irish television and is expected to bring thousands to the 02 concert arena. The program states that "Cheerleaders, the Leprechaun and a variety of famous Irish musical performances” will take part.

Expeditions to Ireland’s most popular religious site at Knock, where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared in 1879, and climbing the holy Croagh Patrick mountain are very popular.

Climbing Croagh Patrick is an annual pilgrimage for hundreds of thousands of Irish who often do so in their bare feet.

In keeping with the religious theme, a major mass celebrated by Papal Nuncio Charles Brown, a Notre Dame graduate, and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin will be celebrated at Dublin Castle with thousands expected to attend on the morning of the football game. Also celebrating will be Reverend John Jenkins, President of Notre Dame, and the Reverend Richard Warner, Superior General of the Congregation of the Holy Cross.

A gathering of a different kind will be held right afterwards when the Notre Dame tailgate party, sponsored by Coca-Cola will take place in nearby swish Temple Bar and the Notre Dame band will parade from Temple Bar to Merrion Square where they will play a fifteen minute program.

On Thursday before the game, Charles Bolden head of NASA, will take part in a special seminar on “The Future of Energy, Dreams and Responsibilities. while a seminar on the challenges facing modern Ireland will take place at Trinity College on Friday afternoon.

Notre Dame’s tennis team will also take on the Irish tennis side the same day.