Friend of self-proclaimed saint defends her regular visits to gambling den as a one-off
The Sunday World recently revealed how the self-proclaimed visionary, who has convinced followers to hand over millions to her organisation by claiming their donations will offer them holy protection, has been gambling on slot machine casinos for years.
Gallagher, who has lived a life of luxury in multi-million-euro mansions with facilities including hot tubs, private lakes, swimming pools and gyms, founded the House of Prayer in Achill, Co Mayo in 1993 and has since expanded to the US.
When we confronted Gallagher in Dr Quirkey’s in Phisboro, Dublin in June as she was gambling away on a big money slot machine.
Christina pictured again recently in the same casino
House of Prayer’s Christina Gallagher is confronted by reporter Alan Sherry in a casino
As soon as our reporter identified himself and asked Gallagher if her followers knew about her ‘secret hobby’, she grabbed a winning docket and stuffed it in her pocket before leaving the machine.
“I only come the odd time,” she said, before denying she used any donations to gamble.
As we continued to quiz her, she walked to another machine in the casino where former House of Prayer company secretary and Christina’s close confidant Noel Guinan was playing.
The pair then made a bee-line for the exit before getting in a 7- Series BMW and driving away.
But now, The House of Prayer and Noel Guinan have given an explanation for what happened.
In a message posted on Gallagher’s own website, which has not been available in Ireland since the casino incident but is still online in the US, the House of Prayer attacked the Sunday World claiming it had “tried to mislead people and discredit Christina Gallagher’s reputation”.
The message claimed Gallagher was in ill-health after suffering two mini strokes and two heart attacks over the years and had an iron transfusion a few days before and was due to have another one the following day.
Noel Guinan, who had little to say on the day we approached him, also attacked our coverage and said the casino was his idea.
“On the day before the second procedure – which was in fact her birthday – I treated her to lunch as a birthday gift.
“From our conversation, I gathered how worried she really was about having to undergo the procedure again. I was just trying to think of something else to distract her. On the way back to her home, I innocently spotted a place where there were slot machines, and I thought that might help to distract her a little.
Gallagaher at one of her House of Prayer ‘visionary’ events
“When we went inside, I gave her some money to put into a machine. I emphasise – I gave her the money myself. We were there for a short time when I heard her call my name. I turned to see two men standing beside her, telling her they were from a particular newspaper. They were repeatedly berating her with questions all the way back to the car as we left.
“I was so shocked, in fact, at the whole incident that I nearly collapsed myself.
“Come Sunday, I was horrified at the article the tabloid in question had published. Most frightening of all was to think that she was being investigated for four months, according to them. From what I see, she can have no social outlet, as everyone is entitled to and most people take for granted,” the post concluded.
Despite Guinan’s suggestion that they were just passing the casino and went in out of the blue, regular gamblers there told the Sunday World the pair had been visiting for around a year and said Gallagher would have wads of cash in her hand as she pumped money into machines.
Today, we are also publishing pictures of Gallagher gambling at the casino in February shortly before Lent.
Guinan was also present on that night and regulars say they spotted the pair on the premises on multiple other occasions.
Christina Gallagher flees Dr Quirkey’s
Guinan made no reference to these other visits in his statement, nor did he say he gave her the money to gamble on those occasions.
In a separate statement, the House of Prayer said Gallagher is suffering from serious ill health and said she has disease in her “blood, liver, heart, lungs and kidneys” and she also suffers severely from arthritis, which they claimed resulted “from the non-stop persecution and evil attacks upon her”.
“Every human being is entitled to move around freely, wherever they choose,” the statement read.
“They are likewise free to spend their own money as they wish – in this case, a personal gift Christina received on her birthday in an effort to distract her from the dread of a most painful medical procedure due to take place on the following day.”
Christina Gallagher leaves Quirkeys Casino in Phibsborough, Dublin
Studies have shown that casino gambling increases heart rate and cortisol (stress hormone) levels which can put stress on the heart.
Gallagher, who claims to have stigmata, has also told followers that she speaks directly to Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
Numerous former attendees and family members have spoken of the constant pressure to donate to the House of Prayer, preferably in cash or by buying items from their shop, including a supposedly magical picture of the Virgin Mary (€250), which Gallagher claims Jesus endorses and will provide holy protection in a coming apocalypse.
We pictured Christina gambling back in February
A former devotee based in the US told the Sunday World this week how he has come to believe Gallagher is not genuine and said the Houses of Prayer in New York, Florida and Minnesota were “losing followers in their droves” in recent months.
“This is cult of personality and has nothing to do with God, love, fellowship or the Church… It is not what is advertised and it is a tragic thing in these uncertain times.”
The source, who asked to remain anonymous, added that the picture of Mary was “one of the most spiritually dangerous things there for all that glitters is not gold”.
“It is in short a trap for the faithful. There is very little there to do with God, let alone a place to go pray. All the prayers and messages are strictly geared towards Ms Gallagher and towards providing for her needs with an ‘or else’ caveat always present in these fearful times.”
He said as well as being warned of the end of days coming, followers were told Gallagher is a saint.
“People at the HOP thoroughly believe her statements of being a self-proclaimed saint and yet if any single person were to suffer as much as they are being ‘told’ she is – this woman would be in a wheelchair constantly and not a frequent guest in the local gambling emporium.”
He said the Houses of Prayer in the US are required to fill a quota and have mandatory sign-in sheets to track those attending but have been haemorrhaging followers as more is revealed about Gallagher.
“No one is allowed to video tape or take notes inside. She has constantly covered her behaviours of paranoia by saying she had $1million stolen from her hence the tight security. My question is – how does a saint get $1million in the first place?”
Christina pictured again recently in the same casino
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – 18th August