The main reasons cited for the change are the impact on regular Sunday Mass-goers, who may feel a funeral is being added to or overshadowing the normal liturgy.

Darragh Byrne of Ballysally in Charleville, Co Cork, was visiting Kerry with his parents on Tuesday afternoon when he fell from a height at Pedlar’s Lake close to Daingean Uí Chúis.

The Association of Catholic Priests said it is not the role of a priest to judge the conscience of another person and says priests do not own the Eucharist

The brazen robbery took place in the sacristy of St Eunan's Cathedral in Letterkenny following the Mass on Sunday