A Guest Post by Bruce Levy

The Israeli counter-protesters and concert-goers were graced with the unexpected appearance of Neil Horan, the de-frocked Catholic priest, nicknamed “The Dancing Priest” or “The Grand Prix Priest”, who achieved notoriety when on 20th July 2003 he ran out onto the 200 mph Hangar Straight in the middle of the British Grand Prix at Siverstone and ran up the middle of the track straight towards the oncoming racecars whilst waving a placard which read “Read the Bible. The Bible is always right”, for which he was arrested and imprisoned for two months.

Defrocked by the Vatican in 2005 from his parish in Nunhead for his bizarre obsession and conviction that the World is just about to end – and for his inappropriate sermonising on the subject – Horan was spotted and rugby-tackled to the ground by police on June 5th 2004 at the Epsom Derby just as he was clambering over a fence trying to get onto the track to run into the path of the horses, and he finally achieved worldwide notoriety when on August 29th 2004 at the Athens Olympics, whilst carrying a placard which said “The Grand Prix priest. Israel fulfillment of prophecy says the Bible, the second coming is near”, Horan ran out onto the road at the 38Km point of the Men’s Marathon Event and hurled himself at marathon front-runner Vanderlei de Lima, costing him the gold medal.

For this bizarre action Horan was fined €3,000 and given a 12 month suspended sentence by the Greek court. Horan’s brother Dan Horan later apologised for his brother’s actions, and argued that he should have been jailed.

Undeterred by his narrow escape from a possible five year sentence in Greece, Horan then spent two months in a German prison after the 2006 World Cup. He had written to chancellor Angela Merckel to inform her that it was his intention to dance a peace jig outside the stadium in Berlin before the World Cup final. Innocuous enough, one would think, but he also announced that he would be carrying posters declaring that “Adolf Hitler was a good leader who was following the word of Christ”, was going to give the Hitler salute, and light a candle for Hitler at the Gestapo Headquarters!

In a pre-emptive strike on 13 April 2007 Horan was served with an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) banning him from entering any of the London boroughs that the London Marathon cuts through. Since then he has not disrupted any major public sporting events, however he managed to pull a further surprise out of his little green hat when he appeared on the nation’s television sets during the auditions for series 3 of “Britain’s Got Talent “, where he did his hallmark (albeit terrible) Irish Jig and wearing his version of a traditional Irish costume, but with a kilt so short you can almost see his epididymis.

Receiving a standing ovation from the audience who thought he was an ironic comedy act, Horan got through to the next stage and was then booted off.

Horan is frequently seen at public events pulling his battery-powered Karaoke machine strapped onto a shopping trolley, wearing the Jewish Star of David prominently on the front of his costume. According to Horan, in the Second Coming of Christ, Jesus will rule the world from Jerusalem and there will be two classes of people – immortal saints – who will rule a world government for a millennium from the religious city, and mortal citizens who will become “adopted Jews” and live for 900 years. He doesn’t say which category he thinks he’s going to be in.

All of this probably explains why Neil Horan – who was tried (though acquitted) at Woolwich Crown Court on September 2nd 2004 for child abuse – arrived at the Albert Hall to make us all marvel at his bizarre hopping and jumping around!

By: Eve Kelliher

DEFROCKED Kerry priest Neil Horan has confirmed he plans to travel to the World Cup final at the weekend to perform a peace dance outside the venue for the big match.

He also intends carrying posters declaring that Adolf Hitler was a good leader who was following the word of Christ.

The Scartaglin native has previously hit the headlines for his infamous demonstrations at major sporting events. He dashed out in front of Formula One cars during the British Grand Prix at Silver-stone in 2003 and the following year he was given a 12-month suspended sentence and fined €3,000 for pouncing on the leader of the men’s marathon at the Olympic Games in Athens.

Now he says he will dance a jig outside the stadium in Berlin before the World Cup final kicks-off on Sunday.

He told The Kingdom he plans to board a flight to Germany on Saturday and he will carry placards in five different languages to spread the word of God – as he sees it.

“I will stand just in front of the main entrance. I will give the Hitler salute, do my peace dance and read a verse,” said Horan who has written toThe Kingdom to confirm his intentions. He said he also intends to visit the Gestapo headquarters to light a candle in memory of Hitler.

The Scartaglin native said he is confident that the authorities in Germany will not attempt to prevent him from entering the country given the nation’s reputation for democracy.

He said he has written to German prime minister, Angela Merkel, and the German police chief to inform them of his travel plans and to assure them his demonstration will be entirely peaceful.

“I agree that what I plan to do is very controversial and I agree that it is a minority view but the mark of a free-dom-loving democracy is that it allows full freedom of speech and expression,” Horan told The Kingdom.

The second eldest of 13 children, Horan is a native of Knockeenahone, Scartaglin. He said he has long established ties with German people as, in his youth in Killarney, he worked as a kitchen porter at the German-owned Dunloe Castle Hotel.

He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Eamonn Casey in 1973 but on 20 January, 2005, Horan was formally defrocked by the Catholic Church.

He has consistently refused to accept the ruling made by the Archbishop of Southwark in London.

“I completely reject this decision. I appeal to the much higher court of heaven and the court of Jesus Christ,” he said.

See also and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Demonstration as BBC is forced off air.
Anti-Zionists picket Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at BBC Proms
Pro-Israeli counter protest against boycott at BBC Proms – London
Trouble at the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra concert in Albert Hall

You can’t make this stuff up!

Bruce Levy