By Shauna Bannon Ward,Sheena McStravick

Copyright belfastlive

Joe Gallagher was just an infant when he began his journey as a healer. Hailing from County Leitrim as the seventh son in his family, Joe is a faith healer who utilises his hands to assist those suffering from various conditions. The Offaly publican has welcomed visitors from all corners of Ireland and has even caught the eye of international media, including The New York Times. Joe, who spent over ten years as a monk, has dedicated his life to healing others. Speaking to RSVP Magazine , Joe shared: “I’ve been doing it since I was a baby. My mother and father used to take my hand and do it before I knew what I was doing.”, reports RSVP Live . He recalled a time during his childhood: “There was a time when I turned seven and eight when I didn’t like doing it because I didn’t understand. When I was out playing with my friends, I would be called in to heal someone with ringworm – which was very common back then.” As he grew older, his commitment to healing deepened: “As the years went on, I became very busy with it and I liked to do it because I’m able to help people.” Explaining his process, he said: “You call the Lord down to help you when you make the sign of the cross on the affected area. You hope the Lord is with you and helps you to do this. I’m sure it is him that gives us this power of curing. It’s hardly within yourself.” After completing his primary education, Joe left Leitrim for Offaly and eventually took up monastic life. He divulged: “I was a member of a Franciscan order,” and went on to share his roots, “I come from outside Bundoran in north Leitrim, a place called Kinlough. When I finished my national school, I came to the monks in Clara, Offaly, for secondary school – then I became one of them.” Reflecting on his time as a monk, he said, “I was a monk for nearly 13 years. I enjoyed every day of it and I have no regrets for being there. It was a wonderful time.” Addressing why he left the order, he explained, “People will ask, ‘If it was wonderful, why did you leave?’ That’s a hard question to answer. It certainly wasn’t a woman – most people think it might have been.” He mused over his decision, saying, “I think it might have been a fulfilment in life. I still go back to see the monks and have dinner with them very regularly.” Expressing his enduring admiration, he added, “I have wonderful respect for the ones that are left. I have no regrets for the days that I spent with them. They are wonderful people.” After departing from monastic life, he ventured into the hospitality industry. Joe revealed, “I used to have a pub in Tullamore, now I have one in Pullough. It’s a little country pub.” Discussing his current involvement, he mentioned, “I don’t do much now at the pub, I’m semi-retired, but I like to keep my hands in there.” He fondly recalled his arrival in the area, “I came here in May 1971 and the community gave me a great welcome. They are lovely country people.” Joe has become well-known across Ireland for his faith healing, drawing individuals from far and wide. He noted, “I get people coming to me from nearly every county in Ireland. We get an awful lot from Dublin, Belfast, Donegal, Cork, Kerry and right up the midlands,” he said. “They must believe in the cure. There’s not much point in coming and being doubtful about it – that would be my knowledge of it. “Although I’ve had people come to me and they didn’t really believe in it. But they came anyway. Lo and behold, they were cured. “I do it every Sunday and spend nearly the whole day at it. I start at 8.30am and keep going until 4PM or 5PM. There’s been days I’ve done it until 8PM – whatever time I get through them all.” He added: “They come to me with nearly every ailment. I’m not saying that everything is 100% after. There’s no miracles, but they come to me with cancer, skin ailments, verrucae and all sorts of things. Anything wrong with the skin is the most popular one. “Ringworm, I would have healed years ago, has become very common again for some reason. “Whatever they come with, I will do. It doesn’t matter. If they come with depression and anxiety, you have to spend a while longer with people like that because they want to talk and it’s very important to talk with that problem.” He sees clients of various ages seeking his help, noting that it’s not just the elderly but many young people as well. “It isn’t necessarily all old people. We have plenty of young people coming too,” he remarked. Joe typically arranges three sessions for those seeking his healing services, followed by a check-up about four weeks later to assess their progress. “Are they healed or are they not? Sometimes they are partly healed and we’ll do it again.” For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.