Papal visit: Vigils remember Church abuse victims

Crowds have gathered in Dublin and Tuam in County Galway to remember victims of Church scandals as the Pope concluded his visit to the Republic of Ireland.

Pope Francis ended his two-day trip with a Mass at Dublin's Phoenix Park.

The visit provoked a strong response from many in light of decades of clerical sex abuse and the exploitation of women in mother-and-baby homes.

The Galway event culminated in a silent vigil to remember the Tuam Babies.

The Tuam mother-and-baby home run by nuns was one of 10 institutions in which about 35,000 unmarried pregnant women are thought to have been sent.

It is believed nearly 800 children died there while it was open between 1925 and 1961.

About 1,000 people assembled at the Town Hall to walk the 30-minute route to its former site.

In Dublin, the Stand4Truth event aimed to show solidarity with victims of clerical sex abuse.

Organisers said the event was not a protest against the Pope's visit but to "provide a space for survivors who feel excluded by the main events".

In addition, about 200 protesters gathered at the General Post Office (GPO) on O'Connell Street in Dublin in opposition to the visit.

Organised by the Say Nope To The Pope campaign, survivors of clerical abuse told their stories.

There were chants of: "Separate Church and state."

The protest was set to culminate with a walk to a nearby garden dedicated to people who fought for Irish independence from Great Britain.