A Galway church is to offer a more modern way to give out ashes this Ash Wednesday – a drive-thru.

Glenamady Church is to allow people drive in one gate, receive ashes on their forehead, and then drive out the other.

Catholics traditionally go to mass and have their foreheads marked with an ash in the shape of a cross to mark the first day of Lent.

This will be available from 8.00am to 9.30am on March 1st, the Irish Catholic reports.

The arrangement follows discussions between the parish priest Fr Paddy Mooney and the pastoral council of Glenamady church.

“We looked at the situation on the ground...People and families are on the move all the time”, Fr Mooney told the paper.

It is thought the idea was made viable by the driveway design of the church.

It conveniently has a lane that leads right up to the door.