Stranded pilgrims land in Dublin

One of the pilgrims returns to Dublin airport

More than 30 people from Newry on a pilgrimage tour to Lourdes arrived back in Ireland on Tuesday after being stranded in France for two days.

The group of 108 Irish people from Dublin and Newry, many sick and elderly, were left without a flight back to Ireland after their tour operator cancelled their return arrangements because of "technical problems".

However, following intervention by the Irish Government and help from a French travel company, the group got into Dublin at 1430 BST on Tuesday.

Fr Gregory Carville, one of the priests with the pilgrims, said the group had suffered a very frustrating ordeal.

People have had to pay for extra medication and hotel costs and we are tired, short of money and fed up

Father Gregory Carville

"We arrived in Lourdes on 17 July and about three days after our arrival we were told there were problems with our travel company, Bon Voyage," he said.

"Then on Sunday we were told there was no flight back to Ireland for us.

"After that we were all asked to get out of our rooms in our hotel and then we were asked to go back into the rooms and pay £30 extra for the night."

Fr Carville said the group struggled with sickness and a lack of money, but that people had remained calm.

Fr Gregory Carville:"Very frustrating ordeal"

"We didn't know what was happening on Sunday.

"The Newry group have been exceptional. They have been very calm but given the frustrations that were going on, we have been supporting each other.

Licence revoked

"People were getting sick we had to go and get extra medication from the chemist that was costing £20."

The County Dublin travel company Bon Voyage, were unavailable for comment, but Fr Carville said that repeated attempts to contact them had proved unsuccessful.

"Another travel company told us they would look after us and then the Irish Government started to take over to help us out a bit.

"We were told that Bon Voyage's concern was to bring the sick to Lourdes and look after them. I cannot accept this as we tried to contact them and they weren't answering their phones."

The Commission for Aviation Regulation has revoked the tour operator's licence of Bon Voyage Travel Ltd.

The company's separate travel agent licence is not affected.