Watch: West Belfast mass-goers have a laugh as priest prays for England to ‘get put out of Euros’

In a video that has since gained a lot of traction on social media, a priest at Clonard Monastery is seen reading out the prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary during Mass, on behalf of one of the locals.

The priest announces: “Dear Mother of Perpetual Help – and this is a funny last one, but very serious too – put England out of the Euros.

“We are still getting 1966. Please, you would never hear the end of it.

“[From] A loving daughter, with a sense of humour. P.S. I Have been praying to Pio as well.”

The reading was met by laughter from the crowd in attendance, and has garnered some comical reactions online too.

The mystery writer’s prayers might be answered sooner than she thinks, as Gareth Southgate’s England international squad has been delivering dismal displays at Euro 2024 so far.

The team is through to the last-16 of the European championship, and topped Group C despite a lacklustre draw against Slovenia, but fans and pundits have not been left impressed.

They have played three games to date, which included another anti-climactic draw with Denmark, and a questionable 1-0 win over Serbia.

England even landed in the more favourable side of the Euro 2024 knockout draw, with Germany, France, Portugal, Spain and Belgium all in the other half.

They will next play Slovakia on Sunday evening.

If England win in the last 16, they will play either Switzerland or Italy in the quarter-finals, with the Netherlands, Romania, Austria and Turkey also on that side of the draw.

England are no longer on course to face France in the semi-finals. That’s after France finished second in Group D. Germany, Spain, Portugal and Belgium will be in the other half of the draw too.

England last won a major tournament – the World Cup – in 1966.

They reached the final of the last Euro tournament, which was played against Italy in Wembley Stadium, but the ‘Three Lions’ side were put out in the resulting penalty shoot-out.