A Catholic couple say they will go to jail rather than pay a €300 fine for travelling 70km to attend Mass during a covid lockdown. Public worship was banned for 42 out of 60 weeks in the various lockdowns, the longest of anywhere in Europe.

Retired firefighter Jim Ryan (64) and his wife Ann (59), a retired nurse, found themselves in court for the first time in their lives earlier this month on a summons for breaching the 5km limit on Palm Sunday, March 28, 2021.

The couple were convicted of the offence by Judge Raymond Finnegan at Cavan District Court but immediately appealed – and have now vowed to go to jail if they cannot get it overturned.

“I will go to jail before I pay it. I would rather go to jail, without a shadow of a doubt,” Jim told the Sunday World.

“I have no intention of paying them a fine for me going to Mass – for doing what I have done my whole life.”