Phil Brennan

Posted on October 6, 2020

Posted in Phils Blog |

Voices on the Camino – 2020

It has been the strangest of years for all of us. We’ve steered a gentle course over the past few months opting to take the safe route until we come out the other side. Our policy has been to work with existing ‘pods’ of people rather than create groups from individual inquiries as we would have done in the past. What we lost in out on in numbers, we more than made up for in the quality of the few groups that we hosted in the latter end of the summer. This month’s blog is written by the people who have shared the path with us in 2020. They capture what our Camino is all about in ways we never could. Those who visit want something a little different. Waterford provides the perfect backdrop to make this happen.

“We did a one day gentle Camino with Phil and Elaine in July. We initially arranged this for my dad who’s nearly 70 to give him a little day out. Little did we know we were all going to absolutely love it, from my nephew who’s 15 to myself and my sisters all in our 30’s… we had such a fun day. The tour itself was so relaxed, we got to see so much even with the plans changing slightly to suit the Irish weather. It was memorable from start to finish. Aside from the beautiful scenery, Elaine and Phil made everyone seem so at ease we could all just be ourselves and enjoy every minute. We laughed all day!!” (Liz, Blanchardstown)

“The Waterford Camino was an experience I did not expect. I thought I was going away for a few days holidays with the girls but it was much more than that. I came back a more relaxed person. I would like to thank you both for an amazing 4 days. I have been on a lot of holidays over the years but these 4 days I will never forget. I will always hold on to the memories of the stunning places you brought us to and the nuggets of history really brought these places to life. The whole experience gave me an inner peace and made me appreciate family and friends. I hope to do another Camino with you both.” (Breda, Celbridge)

“In September 2020, we had the pleasure of spending a weekend away in Waterford organised by Waterford Camino Tours. It was such an amazing action-packed weekend. It was perfect in every way; we walked a number of sections of the Waterford Greenway, mountain trekked to Mahon Falls, had ice-cream on Tramore Beach, jumped in off the diving board at the Guillamene, swam with the seal in Portally Beach, walked the coastal path in Dunmore East, dinners, lunches and drinks, and finished off with lunch on a boat with the lovely Brendan from Dunmore Boat Trips where we caught lobster and released them back to the sea. While fitting so much into 2 days, there were plenty of moments of pure relaxation where we soaked up all the beauty around us. It was no trouble to Phil and Elaine to cater for gluten-free meals at all cafes and restaurants we stopped at along the way. They couldn’t do enough for us. They are a wonderful couple to be around and it was my absolute pleasure to spend the weekend with them. I am looking forward to doing the St. Declan’s Way Camino with them next Spring.” (Audrey, Dublin)

“Without question our weekend with Waterford Camino Tours was one of the most enjoyable, inspiring, fun and thought-provoking experiences in my life. 3 weeks on and I am still on a ‘high’, enjoying even more my hikes and time in nature and excite about my plans to expand my career horizons in a new, fulfilling direction. We went to Waterford as great friends and we left with an even closer bond strengthened by shared experiences, adventures, inspirational stories and anecdotes, lots of laughter and even a few (joyful) tears. I would highly recommend the Waterford Camino for anyone who wants to re-new, re-focus, re-energise, re-connect through inner connection and time in spectacular scenery and nature. Oh yes and the food and craic is mighty. This is a recipe for wellness and happiness. Get in on the secret sauce…” (Sinead Gaynor, Gaynor Training and Development Limited)

“Well what can I say about our Waterford Camino experience. From the warmest of welcomes given to our group from Phil and Elaine to our sad farewell on the Sunday evening to meet again in the future! We walked, sat, chatted, laughed and were still together so many times throughout the weekend. What better way to spend your weekend travelling the beautiful treks of Waterford surrounded by the beauty of nature and listening to such inspirational thoughts and words so appropriately gathered by Phil. We cannot forget the plentiful coffee and cake, wonderful lunches, exceptional boat trip with tapas and meeting the lovely locals of Tramore, Dunmore East and Kilmacthomas. We all need days like this and I for one am planning on making it an annual event!” (Cathy, Dublin)

“I left the busy city behind and met people I didn’t know
But this was brave for me, but I sought something different, something new
A myriad of options appealed but a beach walk invited me most
We gathered, were welcomed and set off on our way
We didn’t introduce ourselves, I liked that, we stopped at points of interest
Our host, a font of knowledge, was informative yet unassuming, passionate but with pace
Suddenly I was intrigued by those around me, we each had a story
Our voices were swept by the wind to a busy blue sky
Soon we smelt the salt, right there and then time moved from mood to moment
The sand was warm and comforting, the breeze was cool and kissed our faces
I was awake, I was aware.
We didn’t need to sing, we had music in our hearts
Our souls were now tuned by the salty touch of empowerment.
Alarms wake us, cities call us, like the tide being tugged towards the moon
I become aware of all I forgot to value. I’m glad I have, for me.”
(Pat, Waterford)

“It was an absolute pleasure doing our lovely walks and listening to your knowledge of the local history. We really enjoyed it and left us with a peace and a sense of wellbeing with the world. We saw beautiful places and we all came home refreshed and relaxed. You couldn’t have looked after us any better. I haven’t stopped talking about our Camino with you since we came back. Can’t wait for the next one.” (Angela, Leixlip)

“I have been thinking back on all the wonderful days we’ve had thus far with the Peace Choir and all the memorable places we’ve been. It has been such a great voyage. All were a Camino of sorts and the memories are a great source of comfort in these difficult times. I’ve really experienced the strength and support there is in numbers and yet how we are all so individual. The Camino we did during the summer was a very enjoyable day despite my physical limitations at that time. With the encouragement of Phil and Elaine, I was able to let go of the struggle of trying to keep up. I accepted instead where I was and it took me down a different path with another group of fabulous people. I truly had a magical day. With warmest wishes and gratitude.” (Mary, Tullow)

“Saving the best ‘til last, our final day sees us fall head over heels for the Comeragh mountains, or more specifically, our guides, husband and wife duo, Phil and Elaine of Waterford Camino Tours. We take on a gradual 4km climb, from the base of Crough Woods up to the Mahon Falls, where bleating sheep and shaded hillsides open up to an amphitheatre of age-old rock, the star of which is the cascading waterfall… closing my eyes and allowing the water to lap gently around my toes it is very much an ‘eat pray love’ moment. I feel centred, still. And this is to the core of what this wonderful couple do. In their own words “it is not about covering vast distances; it’s more taking the time to soak in the beauty and peace of all that we pass along the way.” Guided by this power couple, we then laughed our way along the old railway line which runs against the towering backdrop of the Comeragh mountains and opens up the stunning vistas across the Celtic Sea… it was very much the company that made our experience all the more enjoyable. We’ve even promised to go back to sample the plethora of walking trails Phil and Elaine offer.” (Denise Smith, Travel Writer ‘Sunday World’)

When you’ve the right companion on the journey, you’re home before you know it! We’ve never been called a “power couple” before, but, right now, we’ll take it! We all need words of encouragement from time to time. No matter how strong or how assured you may be, there will be moments in life when everything does not flow as favourably as you would like. Read the signs and be ready to adapt. It’s amazing the power of a kind word. It can lift you up and help you to appreciate what matters most. We’ve been privileged to walk our Camino with really sound people. They lead us in ways they do not even realise. For that we are truly grateful.

We have our plans in place now for 2021. We see the domestic market as key to our business over the coming year with the International market opening up again hopefully from Spring 2022. Our website www.waterfordcamino.com has recently been re-modelled to reflect our unique offerings for 2021. We are excited about the year ahead and are delighted to have many Irish groups already signed up for our signature St. Declan’s Way Camino that we will launch next Spring. For further information, email Phil and Elaine directly on info@waterfordcamino.com

Phil Brennan

Posted on August 4, 2020

Posted in Phils Blog |

St. Declan’s Way – where old meets now!

Walking in the steps of St. Declan from Cashel in Co. Tipperary to Ardmore in Co. Waterford lingers with you long after your odyssey is complete. Here on this ancient ‘Rian Bó Padraigh’ once trodden by the saints of old, we pass castles and forts, holy wells and hallowed vaults, breathtaking views and barren places – an eclectic collage of visual sensations that seep deep into the prism of the mind as we make our way. This is more than a journey of 100 kms (62 miles) but a journey through time of well over 1,500 years. Along the Camino, you unearth truths that may otherwise have passed you by. The clouds part to allow once hidden rays cast their hue across the tinged land. You feel good to be alive.

The 5 days of walking on our Camino across St. Declan’s Way gives you space to breathe, to step back a little from the world for a while and connect to source again. It is good to detox, to clear the head of all that burdens it, to find perspective. Now more than ever we all need it. It is strangely reassuring to know that whatever it is you’re going through, others before you have gone through more and persevered to the end. You sense the voyagers who trod these paths for centuries; saints, pilgrims, labourers, emigrants, rebels, visionaries… each one with a story to tell. So when it came to taking our first tentative steps from beneath the Rock of Cashel, this historic trail took on a whole new meaning. Our coordinates steered us onwards. Once you set out, it’s the company and the chats that carry you along. Each Camino is only as good as the people you share it with.

We were stunned by the breathtaking beauty of the Rock of Cashel as it towered majestically through the morning mist. It was at this very location St. Patrick conferred on St. Declan the status of Bishop of the Déisi Muman people of Waterford after one of the many occasions when they met here. What few realise is that Declan had been working with missionary zeal in the South East of Ireland long before the coming of St. Patrick in 431AD and that his epic Camino over and back to Cashel from Ardmore to meet with Patrick actually predates the iconic Camino de Santiago in Spain by over 400 years. As you leave the dimmed enchantment of this citadel of stone behind, you know you are not alone. There’s a life force at play here that does not let you down. You need to walk it to feel it!

Its stories that bring a place to life. There are so many ruins you pass along the way, it’s good to rest awhile by the remnants of old and listen to faint murmurings from a bygone time. Lady’s Abbey is one such place that draws you in. Silhouetted against the mountain backdrop of the Knockmealdowns, its shaded vaults arch in mystical homage to its medieval origins as a Carmelite Monastery. On first glance, the ruin lies lonely and neglected in the surrounding overgrowth, as if secretly surrendering to the passing of time. Here, veiled in mystery, you enter a sacred space in quiet abandon to all that has gone before.

Our eyes were drawn to the tombstone of Sarah McGuire who lies buried in the chancel of the Abbey, close to where the holy font or ‘piscina’ is located in a place of eminence by the south-facing wall. The rectangular gravestone, which is the oldest on site, bears an inscription which reads “Here lie ye remains of Sarah McGuire who departed life Feb. 1st, 1780, aged 22yrs. Pray for her”. The story, which varies slightly, tells of a woman from Spain/America/West of Ireland (depending on the version you read), who, knowing she was about to die, dreamt of where she wanted to be buried, believing that anybody buried there would go straight to heaven. When she died, her relatives found a map that she had drawn which directed them to Lady’s Abbey, a place that neither Sarah nor any of her relatives had ever seen. Soft, dulcet tones, still audible, make her presence felt as sparrows soar homewards beyond the gaze of the passer-by. We both sensed what neither of us could fully articulate. Impressions of this kind stay with you.

Perhaps the most dramatic stretch of the entire St. Declan’s Way is the trail over the Knockmealdowns that starts out from Goatenbridge in Tipperary and ends in Lismore Waterford some 26 kms (16 miles) later. With the help of our local guide from Knockmealdown Active, Mark Ryland, we opted to take the original path of St. Declan on our right across the lowest crossing point of the mountain range – Bearna Cloiche an Buidéal (Bottleneck Pass). Leaving the relative sanctuary of the trees behind, our feet sank deeper into the dense ground cover of heather – both bell and long heather – and gorse, rushes and moorland grasses. Every step matters!

This is wilderness; bleak, barren, remote yet compelling in its simplicity and in the honesty it asks of you. Here on the outer frontiers, you come face to face with the truth about yourself. No distractions. Just you and the universe! Our descent made us feel alive again. We’d conquered our Everest and felt the quiet elation in making it this far. This vantage point from above is like no other. The lens widens to reveal a pattern that can be lost in the minutiae of life below. The panorama opens up as one vast kaleidoscope of vista and colour that rolls out gracefully to the seas beyond. Our eye gravitates to the River Blackwater as it navigates its mystical course through shimmering lighten route to Youghal. There’s something reassuring about it all. There is nowhere you would rather be!

Mount Melleray Abbey, near Cappoquin, is one of the major milestones along St. Declan’s way. The monastery has been home to a community of Cistercian (or Trappist) monks for nearly 200 years. The Cistercians were founded in 1098 by Robert of Molesme, a Benedictine monk, in Burgundy, who wanted to embrace a simpler and stricter version of Benedictine life. In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Irish men who wished to become Cistercian monks travelled to the continent. In France in 1830, following a revolution, English and Irish monks were expelled from the Abbey of Melleray, in Brittany, and they travelled to Ireland seeking a new home. The rest is history!

St. Declan’s Way leads down through the quiet surrounds of Mount Melleray. In this place, past and present merge seamlessly as one. The priests go about their daily routine unruffled by time; the lands are farmed, the cows are milked, the café reverberates to the din of the curious visitor. The school may be closed since 1974 yet you sense an energy in the calm, a resolute belief amidst the changing vagaries of an uncertain world. Those who live here rise before dawn to pray. Places of stillness are needed now more than ever. We look forward to welcoming our first visitors to the Guest Rooms in Mount Melleray on two of our six nights. In times past, a monastery became a place of rest for pilgrims on their journey. Some traditions should never be lost to modernity!

Lismore is a place that you cannot help but fall in love with as you pass through its quaint streets. It has a unique charm that makes you want to stay longer than your tiring limbs might allow. Lismore is justifiably proud of its long and distinguished history. Tracing its origins to the arrival of St Carthage in 636AD, Lismore was once a university city attended by scholars from all over Europe. The town is beautifully situated on the well wooded banks of the Blackwater. The Cathedral on the right is on the grounds of the monastic school foundations which reached the zenith of its reputation during the 8th and 9th centuries. There is nowhere quite like Lismore.

Alice O’Donoghue, from Lismore Heritage Centre, guides us down the hillside across the River Blackwater and reminds us of the mystical allure this place had for travellers through the centuries who, as they made their way to Lismore for study, no doubt landed at Youghal, the seaport of the Blackwater, and proceeded to follow a highway called the ‘Bealach Eochaille’ along the path of St. Patrick’s Cow, connecting Lismore with the interior of the country. The Castle still beats to the pulse of times past. It retains its mystique, its mesmeric charm; its lofty walls privy to stories that remain untold. The river flows serenely below as if knowingly bowing to the many who have walked its banks before.

Each day on St. Declan’s Way brings something new; a welcoming reception in Waterford City on day 1 followed by 5 days of walking over the 100 kms (62 miles) trail from Cashel to Ardmore. On Camino, it’s not the destination that matters; it’s the steps in between. An exception could be made for Ardmore. Here, by the shoreline, it feels like we have returned to source, to the very place where St. Declan built his own monastic settlement on the hill circa 416AD. Declan retired for greater seclusion to a little cell below overlooking the Bay and the ruined Church and Holy Well still lie in quiet repose to his memory. Listen carefully and whisperings from times past can still be heard. It is they who have shaped who we are; they who inspire us to leave our legacy too.

Dr. Phil Brennan and his wife Elaine look forward to rolling out St. Declan’s Way as their signature Camino experience from Spring 2021. Special thanks to Kevin O’ Donnell and Mark Ryland from Knockmealdown Active and to Br. Phil Ryan for guiding us on our way. For further information, see the link attached or contact Phil and Elaine directly on info@waterfordcamino.com Visit our website at; www.waterfordcamino.com

Phil Brennan

Posted on June 25, 2020

Posted in Phils Blog |

Coming out the other side – the inside story

“Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the roads which lie ahead, and those over which we have travelled, and if the future road looms ominous and unpromising, and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and, carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction.” (Maya Angelou)

It will be strange looking back on 2020. Life can throw up the unexpected at any given time but never for our generation on such a collective scale all at the one time. The road ahead seemed blurred and we felt the absence of those we would normally have alongside. Yet, now as we venture out beyond our safe sanctuaries, many of us are in no rush to return to the way things were. A faint flicker lit up once darkened skies to guide us on our way. Human kindness carried us when we needed it most. To retreat may not be the best option. Better to re-set our bearings so that we begin to track closer to where we now know we need to be.

Like other small companies, Waterford Camino Tours has been thrown upside down since early March, 2020. The tremors were felt out at sea, we knew the wave was coming but there was nowhere to hide. Our small raft was drifting alone in hostile waters at the mercy of forces we were powerless to control. Staring into the unknown is not easy. We tried to stay calm. We knew the mist would lift and that we would find our way home. This time we were all in it together. There were daily reminders of the pain and isolation being felt by many most exposed to the ferocity of the elements. Waterford Camino Tours would survive, neither of us were quite sure how, but right now something far more important was happening around us. The future would have to be put on hold!

So where do you turn when all your plans are thrown into oblivion? Our immediate priority was to check in on the key people who help us do what we do with our tours; our coach operator Brian, our Greenway bike hire agents Garvan and Donal, our boat trip navigator Brendan, our local cafés, especially Jenny and the team at Kiersey’s, Janet and Michael on our marketing and website design. These are more than just business associates. They have become valued friends. We had just waved goodbye to our first American group staying in Lismore Castle when lockdown arrived and we wanted to make sure that everyone on the team was paid in full. Simple rule of how we run our business – do the right thing and it will come back to you in spades. We also tried to save whatever bookings we could, postponing most to the same week in 2021 so that we would have time on our hands to ride out the storm.

There were 2 of us in it, both of us making our livelihood from the one source that was no longer available to us. We bunkered down like everyone else and made a few tweaks to our lifestyle to match our changing circumstances. It was a little scary at first to be honest and there were times when we wondered whether or not our business would still be intact when we re-emerged on the other side. We sought out whatever supports we could so that Waterford Camino Tours would withstand the tumult. Our daily walks became our therapy – our time to process, to see beyond the challenges and start to visualise the solutions. We laughed, chatted, imagined, planned… and trusted in the life force of the universe to see us home. This loop around Tramore, our very own ‘circle of life’, gave us the strength to handle all that the world threw at us. Time in the great outdoors has a way of slowing down the restless stirrings of the mind.

This unexpected ‘time-out’ over the past few months was one we did not want to waste. It was good to rest the mind for a while, to plant some flowers and watch them grow. When you’re not moving at a frantic pace, you begin to see more clearly. We’d been so busy planning, getting our website right, creating a schedule of events for the coming year, pinning down bookings… now we had time to rest up. In moments of upheaval, it pays not to force a quick remedy that could rebound on you just as fast. An unspoken truth guided us… peace of mind matters more than anything. Anchor in at the isle for a while, don’t try to sell tours, vouchers, day trips… anything. Just be. Breathe. And in the space that this creates, be open to new pathways. We vowed to use our social media platform to spread a little calm. The rest… that could come later!

So, what have we learned over the past few months? You can build your very own empire, no matter how small and humble, with the right people by your side. Do not settle for less. It’s better to have people you can trust to deliver for you no matter how small their operation may be than to compromise everything you stand for to placate those who would let you down in an instant. Gravitate to the genuine, those content to work below the radar, and who are true to their word. We’ve great people around us and we’d be lost without them. No matter what the future holds, we know they’ll still be there. Sur that’s everything!

Our trails now seem to take on an added meaning. Our cadence slows to soak in the story of those who have walked this way before. Places come to life when you sense the spirit of the people who once lived there. We always wanted to push out the boundaries of our research that little bit more and we’ve now had the time to do just that. Imprints of old rest in furtive disguise beyond the gaze of the passer-by. Here in Tramore, hallowed reminders of a bygone time lie buried beneath the firmament of sand and sea: the old racecourse and 9-hole links golf course on the Backstrand; faint names chiselled onto a windswept memorial on the Doneraile honouring the 363 lives lost just over 204 years ago when the Seahorse crashed to shore; the towering presence of the prom still offering its unique magic to visitors from near and far more than a century on; the ruins of the old railway station in shaded silhouette as if bowing to its former glory. We who pass this way must do so in homage to times past. They have made us who we are.

As we come out the other side, we all need to be that little bit patient. The new normal is tricky enough to navigate. Within current restrictions, we could only take 8 in a 30-seater coach, the demand for single rooms in accommodation will increase with an added supplement to bear for those who cannot share, we have to ask visitors to sign an indemnity form before walking the trails with us and we can only cater for international visitors when they have first spent 2 weeks in quarantine. Mixing and matching from different inquiries to create a group is something we have decided not to do in the short term to protect the safety of our visitors. It’s a very changed tourism landscape that we are now operating in. We are happy to ease our way back with groups of 8 or more from the same family or same circle of friends. Car convoys will become the norm for a while. This too will pass, but, for now, better to veer on the side of caution.

We are currently doing the logistics for a new signature Camino route that we hope to announce this autumn. We are excited about the opportunity that this time presents and have every intention of arriving on the other side as strong as we possibly can. There are no guarantees in this business but it won’t be for the want of trying if we do not get to where we want to be. We’ve built up a unique offering for tourism in Waterford that we believe can release the potential in our city and county to be a hub for outdoor tourism for years to come. We do not have to invent the product. It already exists, and, crucially, it has the history to go with it. It just needs to be packaged and promoted in ways that entice young and old alike to sample all that this wonderful county of ours has to offer. Let the journey begin… once again.

“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger; for my long walk is not yet ended.” (Nelson Mandela)

From the 29^th of June, we will be easing our way back out on our trails with our one day ‘Greenway to the Falls’ being rolled out for the summer and then our 3 day ‘Gentle Camino’ from the autumn, both for groups of 8 or more. For further information, check out our website on waterfordcamino.com or email Phil and Elaine directly at info@waterfordcamino.com

Phil Brennan

Posted on June 1, 2020

Posted in Phils Blog |

How can I keep from singing?

“You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star.”
(Frederich Nietzsche)

When dreams are shattered, we search for meaning in the rubble. 10 years ago this week, my hope of one day bringing a state of the art cinema to my hometown was realised. So many painstaking hours had led to this moment – meetings with planners, architects, potential cinema operators, builders, engineers… Movies@Gorey opened on the last week of May 2010. This was the first in a series of leisure developments that I had planned for the 6 acre site. The cinema was to be the springboard for a modern recreational amenity for Gorey and its people. But I sensed then what I now know. The economic tide was turning. There was nowhere to hide.

There are moments in life when the lights go out, when everything you once lived for fades into the ether and you are left alone to make sense of it all. When you invest your energies into something that means everything to you, it is so hard to step aside and surrender to the forces that have made it impossible for you to drive on further. You exhaust all avenues until you stare in the face the reality that you’ve come as far as you can go. The next few years were tough – dealing with retention issues with the cinema operator whilst at the same time negotiating the sale of the site, and ultimately my home in Waterford, so that I could be free to ‘kick on’ with the rest of my life. On May 13th, 2015, Elaine and myself started a new life together in Tramore. We have not looked back! Right now, 10 years on, life feels good.

It can be hard to withstand the fury of the elements when you’re wading through the torrent. Fate can appear cruel and merciless and we, the broken protagonists, become idle spectators to our very own story played out before us. Our cadence weakens under the strain, our song all but disappears. There were days I struggled to rise, to persevere with my PhD, to prepare and lead workshops with the Peace Choir, to hang on in there when my spirit waned. Yet, something kept me going. A voice cried out from within, stirring me to believe all over again and driving me onwards in search of purpose. I guess in those times when our souls are laid bare, we have a choice to make – to step back from the world for a while or to slowly pick up the pieces and rise again. I think I chose both!

When I look back, I do so not in regret but with quiet satisfaction that this dream did come to pass. You discover a lot about yourself when the tide turns. Life nudges you into a space where you begin to see more clearly. Rock bottom can open the pores of your humanity to what really matters. Your antennae are more finely tuned. You gravitate towards the people you know will give you that lift when you need it most. It could be an unexpected visit, an invite for a round of golf or a meal together, someone unknown dropping off some home cooking to your doorstep, a wee text that reminds you of a core truth you need to hear… empathy of this kind is priceless. Your true friends believe in you when you’re most inclined to doubt yourself. Melodies of the soul soar through the night to guide us home.

The universe too takes on a whole new meaning as we come out the other side. I think it was Nietzche who said that “those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” I was once the bemused onlooker. I was never one to slow down before. I lived life at a pace and was at my happiest when I was on the move. In the stillness though, you hear the music in the simplest of things. That bench on the Doneraile overlooking the bay in Tramore opened up a whole new world. Here, by the water’s edge, once strained chords yield to the harmonic movement of the changing tides. As the waves roll to shore with steadfast ease, you sense the force that sent you here and feel the need to serve it.

All our lives have been thrown off track over the last few months in ways we could never have imagined. It would be so much easier if we knew for certain when this pandemic would all end. Life has taught me not to give in to negativity and doubt. Hope in its grittiest form triumphs in those very situations that threaten its existence. Believe in a new dawn, a new day. No matter how dark the night is, daybreak will follow. Take a step back and clear your head. Tap into your creative juices, dare to believe again and slowly plot a new course to reflect the opportunities this moment presents. It may mean a slight shift away from what served you well in the past. Hoist the sails, open up to the elements and keep a gentle hold of the reins. Your destiny is not shaped by you alone. Trust in the universe to steer you to where you are meant to be.

I was sent a beautiful mystical piece by a friend over the weekend that stirred something in me. ‘If this time’, written by Fermoy man Kevin McCormack, lights up the way for all of us to follow long after these strange and uncertain days have passed. If it was not for the times we are in, Kevin would never have been inspired to write this piece and we, the readers, would never have discovered it. Proof perhaps that hope endures even when tested most. Keep that spark within you alive. You too have your song to sing.

If this time…

If this time has taught me anything, it is that the tiny spec in this universe that we occupy, is both wonderful and wondrous, and, if we allow it to, the beauty around us can unlock the beauty within us; and teach us far more than our schooling ever did.

If this time has taught me anything, it is that success, and how we measure it, needs to be re-defined, and that the only person to whom you should ever compare yourself is who you were yesterday…Be kind to yourself – if you are doing your best, you are doing enough.

If this time has taught me anything, it is that it is more important now than ever before to see the world through your own eyes. Begin by looking at yourself – look honestly and gently. Look inward with compassion and kindness and look outward with humility and appreciation.

If this time has taught me anything, it is this: If true love conquers everything, then self-love gives it the fortitude to do so. Know that you are more than your scars – know that every wound in you that has healed along the way has taught you what it is to fight back; and to start again from where you are, with what you’ve got, without seeking the approval of others and know that self-love is not vanity.

If this time has taught me anything it is this: HOPE matters, and we cannot live without it. This time has taught me that HOPE is not a wish, nor a desire for things to be different. It is a course of action, a combination of mind and heart. The future can be better and can be brighter, and we each have the power within us to make it so. There will be challenges to face along the way, to which there are many solutions. There is a source of resilience deep within us all.

If this time does not teach us that time itself is precious, then we will have missed the lesson. The lesson that never before have the past and the future been so irrelevant and that the quest to ‘find ourselves’ has been fruitless to now; only because we’ve been searching in all the wrong places.

We are here, we are now. We are each and every breath we take. Every day is a gift – a gift to begin again, and to grasp with both hands, the fresh opportunity to learn, unlearn and re-learn. If this time………..is not wasted.

(Excerpts from ‘If this time’ written by Kevin McCormack)

(Special thanks also to Vivek da Silva & Aiveen Mullally for their inspiration along the way)

Dr. Phil Brennan and his wife Elaine invite you to share in one of their specially tailored ‘time-out’ experiences in Ireland’s South East once we are free to set out on our Caminos again. For now, we feel it’s best to spread a little calm through our reflections, music, photos and virtual Taizé evenings that we post online. The rest we return to when the time is right. The Waterford Camino experience blends walks and cycles, motivational talks and music. For further information, check out our website on waterfordcamino.com or email directly at info@waterfordcamino.com

Phil Brennan

Posted on May 5, 2020

Posted in Phils Blog |

And we will rise up

“I have a feeling that my boat
has struck, down there in the depths,
against a great thing.
And nothing happens! Nothing…
Silence… Waves…
Nothing happens? Or has everything happened,
and we are standing now, quietly, in this new life?”
(Juan Ramon Jimenez, translated by Robert Bly)

Emails come and go from far off places reminding us that these are scary times. We were due to host a family of 10 from California for a special 6 day Camino this month. We’ve been partnering up with Lismore Castle and The Cliff House Hotel and were preparing to roll out our signature one day offerings for their visitors from this Spring. As I write, we should be welcoming our Celbridge group to share the path with us for the fourth consecutive year. The pieces were just beginning to fall into place. In an instant, everything has changed. The tourism landscape lies tinged in vacant isolation. We can but stand quietly now, trusting in the universe to help us rise again.

‘Oh great ocean, o great sea. Run to the ocean. Run to the sea’… I hear this soft lament seep into the deepest part of me every time I gaze out across the bay in Tramore. Early morning as the sun rises over the distant headland, a beautiful orange halo casts its magical glow against the stilling canvas of the seas. Silence prevails except for the mesmeric tones of the waves as they roll to shore. We feel the calm, the peace. All the noise and din of the world retreats momentarily as we become silent spectators to an ageless story played out before our eyes. The dawning of the day lifts us beyond the narrowed walls of solitude reminding us that we are not alone.

None of us saw this coming. One minute you’re cruising along, gliding the wave, with your coordinates well tracked on where you need to be. Next, you’re being buffeted about through perilous waters doing whatever it takes to navigate your way to safety. Yet, at this very moment, when we are most exposed to the elemental fury of the storm, we come to find out who we truly are. Times of trial challenge us to look deep into ourselves and draw on reserves we never knew we had. What lies within carries us when we’re tested most.

It’s amazing the things you miss when you no longer have them. This social distance lark ain’t no walk in the park! (No pun or attempt at rhyme intended!!) The primordial pull towards those we love roars with deafening silence in this hour of separation. We seek new ways of bridging the vast chasm that lies between us and those we miss. We feel the pain of those cocooned at home, that raw pang of separation that flows from them to us and back again. We can but stand and stare in numbed disbelief at the stories of many who have had to make their final journey without their family close by. We know that behind every statistic is someone that could have been our mother, father, brother, sister, best friend… me.

A moment on Claire Byrne Live this week really brought this home to me. Claire was chatting through Skype with a young Dublin woman, Yvonne Kinsella, who had been to the edge and back with Covid 19. Yvonne is now home and almost out the other side. Her story was not about herself, more about the woman in the bed next to hers whom she came to know as a great friend. In such a short time, a bond was forged between the two of them that would ripple out from their hospital ward to inspire us all.

A week before their hospital encounter, Kitty had fallen at home and cracked a few ribs. Not easy for anyone, let alone for a woman in her mid-80’s. Kitty was a battler and was intent on getting back home after a few days convalescence in hospital. All that changed when the virus struck! She was transferred to another hospital and thus began the battle for her life. In this her darkest hour, Kitty found something inside; a stoic refusal not to give up no matter how severe the pain, how crushing the sadness of not being able to see her daughter Mary and her grandchildren for one last time. She felt it real bad, yet she clung on to those very qualities that made her who she was – to the very end.

Their empathy was of a kind that made it possible for two patients struck down by Covid 19 to forget their own fears and worries and reach out to a person they barely knew in the Intensive Care wing of a hospital. Their kindness knew no borders. Between treatment and sleep, these two exhausted people still had a song to sing. They joked, they laughed, they shared Kitty’s favourite Lindt chocolate over a cuppa, they exchanged stories from each other’s families – offering a momentary reprieve from the horror of what they were both going through. Yvonne always read the signs and had Kitty’s slippers on her feet before she was ever asked. Kitty passed away within a few days of Yvonne going home. For all the words they shared, their faint whispers laid bare an unspoken truth… that love shines brightest against the darkest backdrop. Fragile notes of crimson beauty soar through broken skies to light the way for us all.

If this time does nothing more than make you think a little about what matters most to you, well maybe you can turn it into a positive. It’s never too late to retrieve the better version of ourselves. Old patterns of behavior can yield to something new. Wherever we are on the pathway of life, we need to re-claim our capacity to be kind. Check in on a loved one, facetime that person that you know could do with it, write that letter, Zoom that friend you could do with catching up with and pour yourself a glass, drop off some home baking to that elderly neighbour. It’s these things that remind us why we are here in the first place. So much of what we once placed our trust in does not matter one iota. Carpe Diem – so that the opportunity this time presents does not pass you by.

“We should not long to return, my friends.
We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment.
One that fits all of humanity.”
(Brene Brown)

It is good to anticipate how we can best position ourselves when we re-emerge on the other side of this virus. That we are doing in Waterford Camino Tours, quietly, assiduously, below the radar of the passer by. It will come good, but, for now, it is not what matters. We want to play our small part in spreading a little positivity and hope. Our monthly blogs and online Taizé evenings, along with our photos and images from times past and present, are our way of doing our little bit. There are people out there putting their lives at risk to protect the most vulnerable around us. In selfless ways, many are placing a real value on others not just themselves. We can all follow their lead. It’s time for the melodic notes of human kindness to merge into one powerful symphony of good. Our world needs it!

And People Stayed Home

“And people stayed home
and read books and listened
and rested and exercised
and made art and played
and learned new ways of being
and stopped
and listened deeper
someone meditated
someone prayed
someone danced
someone met their shadow
and people began to think differently
and people healed
and in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways,
dangerous, meaningless and heartless,
even the earth began to heal
and when the danger ended
and people found each other
grieved for the dead people
and they made new choices
and dreamed of new visions
and created new ways of life
and healed the earth completely
just as they were healed themselves.”
(Kathleen O’Meara; written in 1869 after the great famine)

(Picture courtesy of Brendan Grogan)

I hope these reflections offer a little calm amid the storm and that we’ll get to share the path with you someday soon. For now, let’s stay safe and stay at home. For further information check out www.waterfordcamino.com or email Phil and Elaine directly at info@waterfordcamino.com

Phil Brennan

Posted on April 8, 2020

Posted in Phils Blog |

A fragile hope

“If in the dusk of the twilight, dimmed be the region afar
Will not the deepening darkness, brighten the glimmering star.
Then when the night is upon us, why should the heart sink away,
When the dark midnight is over, watch for the break of day.
Whispering hope, O how welcome thy voice
making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.”
(Alice Hawthorne, 1868)

Hope often triumphs in those very situations that threaten its existence. Against the darkened backdrop a faint ray of light trickles through the skies to lighten our way. This time of great uncertainty opens up pathways previously unknown. We all have time now – in a way that never seemed possible before. We have no choice but to draw breath, anchor at the isle for a while, reboot our coordinates and trust in the stars above to guide us home.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve had to press the pause button and become accustomed to life without its frenzied motion. Not sure whether I’m slightly losing it, but my garden has suddenly become a place of wonder for me. I’m even checking the latest buds to bloom and surveying the movement of the robin before he lands on the ledge for his evening feed. I think we’ve bonded! It’s amazing how the small, miniscule, seemingly insignificant things have now taken on a new meaning. This time away from the routine can open our pores to a whole new world.

I’m very aware that there are a lot of people out there confined to the boundaries of their own home and wishing all could be as it was. It’s not easy for them or for us. We all have to keep our safe distance whilst they, in their isolation, try to make sense of it all. I’m missing the chats with my Mam over a cuppa, the reassuring few words that float both ways, the normality of it all. Over the last week, I’ve asked a few friends to send on reflections or poems that speak to them at this time, to help us navigate uncharted waters with a little hope in our hearts. Together, through the torrent, we can carry each other to the other side.

* It’s good to step outside from time to time and breathe in the clear air. We can become overwhelmed by the news briefings. Once a day is enough. It can consume you. It’s shocking too how negative and vitriolic social media can be. This can never become our new norm. Real warriors do not need keyboards! Those who have spread fun and laughter have lifted all our spirits. Human goodness too has been unleashed into the world in a way that inspires us all to think differently. There is new energy palpable now, a shift perhaps back to where we are meant to be. Let’s never tire of it!

“Life is so precious; we never know the day or the hour that it will be whipped away. So, fill your days with as much happiness as you can muster. Stay away from the drains. We all know them. They’re the people who pull the good out of everything. The ones who suck the beauty from things and change colour to black and white. Leave them fester. I think they secretly enjoy being grim. Instead, gravitate towards the light and laughter – like a moth to a flame remembering not to get your pretty wings burnt. You’ll like it better there I promise. Farewell and thank you. I am taking a bow. Until we meet again, may all that is good and decent be yours.”
(Emma Hannigan, ‘Letters to my daughters’)

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat.”
(Theodore Roosevelt, April 23rd, 1910, Sorbonne, Paris)

* It’s good to create your own ‘still zone’, somewhere you can find your own peace regardless of what is happening around you. Music can help, silence too but nature often tunes us to this new frequency better than anything. Times of trial can open our eyes to what really matters. We begin to see more clearly.

“Whenever problems seem to get the better of me, whenever I feel them closing in on me, I go to a quiet place that lies somewhere in my soul. I do not reason, analyse or think. Those will come later. I simply go.
From this place of silence, I garner strength and inspiration to stand firm in the face of fire, to be calm in the midst of thunder.
When I emerge, the world has not changed, but I have. And in changing, a whole new world is born.”
(John Harricharan)

“In a world vibrating with action
We have come here to be still.
In a world of tight schedules and deadlines
We have come to absorb the present.
In a world of limits and frustrations
We have come to the brink of eternity.
At the still point of our churning world
We wait to meet the unchanging God and know his peace.”
(Iona Community)

* This is a good time to reconfigure your bearings in life before you ‘kick on’ to your true course, your ‘higher purpose’. Remember, the purpose of life is a life of purpose. Have your beautiful things but do not be imprisoned by them. Own them but do not let them own you. Give the main aim of your life over to far more important pursuits such as discovery of your highest potential, giving of yourself to others and making a difference by living for something more important than yourself.

“Just imagine that the purpose of life is your happiness only – then life becomes a cruel and senseless thing. You have to embrace the wisdom of humanity. Your intellect and your heart tell you that the meaning of life is to serve the force that sent you into the world.
Then life becomes a joy.”
(Leo Tolstoy)

“For what it’s worth, it is never too late, or in my case, too early to be whatever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”
(Eric Roth ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’)

“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made mistakes along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger; for my long walk has not yet ended.”
(Nelson Mandela)

* Where there is peace and love, there is God also. Regardless of where you are on your own spiritual journey, there will be times in your life when you sense that you are not alone, that someone, somewhere is carrying you. There is a life force at play in the world beyond what the mind alone can fully comprehend. There are many rivers to the sea. The wider ocean awaits those who dare take the voyage.

“The man whispered, ‘God, speak to me.’ And a meadowlark sang. But, the man did not hear. So the man yelled, ‘God speak to me’ and the thunder rolled across the sky. But, the man did not listen. The man looked around and said, ‘God let me see you’ and a star shined brightly. But, the man did not see. And the man shouted, ‘God show me a miracle’ and a life was born but the Man did not notice. So the man cried out in despair, ‘Touch me God’, and let me know you’re here” whereupon God reached down and touch the man.
But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.”
(Steve Farmer)

“You are always calling us to follow you into the future,
inviting us to new ventures, new challenges, new ways to care,
new ways to touch the hearts of all.
When we are fearful of the unknown, give us courage.
When we worry that we are not up to the task, remind us that you would not call us
if you did not believe in us.
When we get tired, or feel disappointed with the way things are going, remind us that
you can bring change and hope out of the most difficult situations.”
(The lona Community)

* Hope will endure even when all around seems bleak. The cross can yield to the fragile hope of the empty tomb. Václav Havel, the former president of the Czech Republic, said that hope is not dependant on some particular view of the world, but is something we carry within us. Hope, he maintains, is not the same as optimism nor the conviction that all will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out. It is an ability to work for something because it is good. He says hope ‘gives us the strength to live continually to try new things even in conditions that seem hopeless.’

May you see God’s light on the path ahead,
When the road is dark,
May you always hear, even in the hour of sorrow,
The gentle singing of the lark,
When times are hard, may hardness never turn your heart to stone,
May you always remember, when the shadows fall,
You do not walk alone.

May God give you…
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial,
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.
(Old Irish Blessing)

I hope these reflections offer a little calm amid the storm and that we’ll get to share the path with you someday soon. Thanks to all who shared their favourites. For now, let’s stay safe and stay at home secure in the knowledge that this too shall pass.

For further information check out www.waterfordcamino.com or email Phil and Elaine directly at info@waterfordcamino.com

We are delighted that our friends and colleagues from Journeying, in the UK, through Iain Tweedale, will also be joining us live for our Taizé Vigil, on Friday 10th April at 8pm. You can connect via our Waterford Camino Tours Facebook page or Journeying’s Facebook page

Phil Brennan

Posted on March 20, 2020

Posted in Phils Blog |

Calm in the storm

All has changed, changed utterly. You can sing it! We never saw this coming. It’s as though the world as we knew it has been suspended in time. What started out in a far away land has morphed into something that knows no borders. Amid the haze of the unknown, our coordinates have become blurred. Alone we stand yet together we await. As a collective, we are staring in the face a challenge like no other. You, me, all of us. We are in this together. It is a time that will define us as a people; each one of us as a person.

It’s hard to know where to turn for reassurance. Uncertainty breeds fear and hysteria in equal measure. The surreal has become the new normal – Covid 19, social distancing, self-isolation… I can hear Dougal whispering from a bygone time “Isn’t it mad Ted”. Now more than ever we need to heed the warnings and minimise all social engagement. We cannot be casual on this; there is too much at stake. We know the ‘surge’ is coming – we’re just not quite sure how long it will last and how we’ll all be when it has departed our shores. This is the hour when we will be tested most. Time now to re-claim what is best in us to see us through.

Waterford Camino Tours, like so many small businesses, has been hit hard by Covid 19. Things were evolving and growing just as you would want and our first 6 Day Camino with guests from Wales, Switzerland, Australia, Canada and North America was due to commence this coming Sunday. In an instant, everything has come to a shuddering halt. We’ve had to postpone or cancel 15 group bookings for the year ahead, we’ve put on hold exciting new partnerships in the tourism arena and we’ve had no choice but to bunker down in the hope that we’re still standing when the storm has passed. It’s not easy. There are no guarantees we’ll come out the other side with our business intact. But you know what, perspective is everything. We won’t go hungry. Our priority is to make sure that the people who have made us who we are get to share the next leg of our adventure with us. We will draw on every fibre of our being to get through this. Like you, we too will rise again.

All of us have known times in our lives when the going was tough. Never as a nation can we remember arriving at this same point together. I can recall a particularly difficult time in my life with a clarity now 18 years on as if it was yesterday. It’s funny, times of adversity leave imprints that last a lifetime. We quickly learn to draw on reserves we never knew we had. We begin to see more clearly, this time with zero tolerance for the superficial and the fake. Lessons learned the hard way tend to stay with us long after the experience has passed. Songs from the soul linger into the night to guide us on our way.

Be strong. Now is not the time to lament what we can no longer do. None of us can afford the luxury of feeling sorry for ourselves. Self-pity breathes inertia. We tend to gravitate to routine and lose that ‘creative spark’ that’s vital to our spirit. Now more than ever, find something to give your day a sense of purpose. Start as you mean to continue. Discipline yourself with a schedule. There’s a book waiting to be read, even written, a story to be told, a song to be composed or sung, an instrument to be played, a painting to be unveiled to the world. Seize the opportunity this moment presents.

Search for the positive. An over-reliance on social media will numb your mind and only add to the worry. Break free from the slipstream of others and dare to be yourself. In a world of conflicting sounds, tune into the ‘inner voice’. It’s the one that guides you on your true course. Ignore the harbingers of doom. I think they secretly enjoy being grim. Daily bulletins are important, good informed sources are vital but watch for the glimmer of light before it breaks through and bring the thrill of this discovery to others. What we are experiencing now, frightening and all as it is, will pass. As I write, China and South Korea seem to be coming out the other side of the tempest. Trust in the ingenuity of humanity to find the right vaccine. The experts will crack this. Hope can rise against the bleakest of backdrops. What is good will endure.

Find your own ‘still zone’. The great outdoors have a way of soothing the tempest of the mind. I love my sport on TV. Normally, as Spring approaches, I’d be glued to the Masters from Augusta, or to the last few games in the Premier League, or to Aintree, roaring home my fancy if he’s made it beyond Beecher’s Brook for the second time. Sport on TV has always been our one constant. One press of the remote and we’re there, following each move as if our lives depended on it. Strange as it may sound, the auburn glow of the setting sun as it slips below the headland in Tramore seems all that bit more real and reassuring for me right now. Solitude in a frenzied world tunes us to something deeper and reminds us that we are not alone.

Have your favourite walks, your quiet seat by the river or the sea, your woodland trail or cliff path. Keep a safe distance from people you meet along the way. Your garden too can become your sanctuary especially if you’ve been asked to ‘cocoon’ at home for a few weeks. Soon the sun will shine, flowers will bloom, birds will chirp – all in ways you may not have noticed before. Our summer rituals may need to take on a new complexion. Time to be innovative and try out new trails off the beaten track. Pack your picnic, make an occasion of it. Once you set out, you will want to come back for more.

Gravitate towards the right people. It’s in times of trial that you see your true friends for who they are. I’ve been reminded of this in recent weeks. It’s hard sometimes to escape the clutches of those who drain the energy from you,even to the point of doubting yourself and your true worth. Now is the time to ‘detox’ from the negative. Let them go and leave room for those who matter most to come in. Being true to you is the source of your liberation. So if there’s anything burdening you from your past, reconcile yourself with it before you let go of it, not to prove yourself to others, but to be at peace within yourself.

Great friends are priceless. Be there for them as they have been there for you. ‘Facetime’ bridges the divide between people in this time of social isolation. It’s good to keep the link with friends near and far, to listen, to share stories, to laugh, to cry, to sing, to pray… whatever it takes to see us through. A call, a text, an email, a letter can lift someone way beyond words.

It’s time now to re-connect – to the universe and to our better selves – then find ways to align both so that we come out of this all the more grounded for our experience. We need to think differently about our world and our place in it so that the legacy we leave behind is rooted in kindness. This above all else matters. In our darkest hour, good is bursting through like never before. Medical teams on the frontline exude bravery and selfless abandon in their quest to save lives,strangers nod in unspoken solidarity as they pass by, neighbours make sure that the elderly in their midst want for nothing, music is echoing from balconies and gardens across the globe in a spontaneous overflow of love that we havn’t seen before. All of us have a role to play. There’s a life force at play here that will see us through. We have strayed from source. Maybe it’s time to return.

Slow me down

“Ease the pounding of my heart
By the quieting of my mind.
Steady my hurried pace
With a vision of the eternal reach of time.

Give me amidst the confusion of my day
The calmness of the everlasting hills.
Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles
With the soothing music of the singing streams

Teach me the art of taking minute vacations
Of slowing down to look at a flower
To chat with a friend, to pat a dog
To read a few lines from a book.

Remind me each day of the fable of the hare and the tortoise
That I may know that the race is not always to be swift
That there is more to life
Than measuring speed.

Let me look upward
Into the branches of the towering oak
And know that it grew great and strong
Because it grew steady and well.

Slow me down Lord
And inspire me to send my roots
Deep into the soil
Of life’s enduring values
That I may grow towards the stars
Of my enduring destiny.”

Excerpts from ‘Slow me down’ (Sandra Wylie, sourced by Mossie and Helen Scanlon, Dingle)

************************************************************************

Dr. Phil Brennan and his wife Elaine invite you to share in one of their specially tailored ‘time-out’ experiences in Ireland’s South East. The Waterford Camino experience blends walks, cycles, motivational talks and music. For further information, check out our website on waterfordcamino.com or email directly at info@waterfordcamino.com

Phil Brennan

Posted on February 11, 2020

Posted in Phils Blog |

In a world where you can be anything be kind

“We should remind ourselves that we are not saviors. We are simply a tiny sign among thousands that love is possible… I am struck by how sharing our weaknesses and difficulties is more nourishing to others than sharing our qualities and successes.” 

Walking the long way home can help us find perspective and frees us from the clutches of all the world can throw at us. It’s hard to go through life unscathed. Sometimes you just need to draw breath and take a ‘time-out’ to help you make sense of it all. People can let you down when you least expect. On the Camino of life, the elements can conspire to ridicule you and lash torment on you making the journey home all the more testing. The way appears blurred and our own coordinates become dimmed. A voice cries out in the wilderness reminding us that we are not alone.

The key to life is to keep your head regardless of what is happening around you. Composure in the face of adversity is hard earned. You nearly have to go through the storm to come out the other side. I remember at one time in my life when things were particularly scary, staring out the window in search of a sign to help me move beyond my deepest fears. I could see a small bird on a ledge not too far from my humble abode surveying its surrounds before it took flight. 4am, as a faint hue of light creeped slowly across the shaded canvas above, there we were just me and this bird.

I began to visualise the bird leaving the sanctuary of its lofty perch, its fragile wings yielding to the vagaries of the wind as it soared through the skies. At that moment, it felt so real. A once captive creature was free once again to re-claim its place in the universe. The reverie lingered and lulled me back to sleep. When I awoke, the bird was still there. It had stayed exactly where it was. As if aware of my curiosity from afar, the bird nodded gracefully before descending at pace into the darkened space below. Minutes later, it reappeared, and rose steadily to embrace the freedom beyond the narrowed walls it had left behind. This dive into the underworld took me by surprise. It gave me hope when I needed it most. I too would rise but not without first navigating my way through the depths.

A small, miniscule creature had unearthed something in me I never knew existed. Its mystery echoed deep within and appeased the simmering pain of a broken man. Light seeped through the once dimmed skies opening up horizons previously unseen. A fragile hope stirred in my veins. Nature had reached me in a way that the world at that time could not. It was strangely liberating!

“When the light around you lessens and your world is a cloud of darkness, steady yourself and see that it is your own thinking that darkens your world. Search and you will find a diamond thought of light. All you need is one spark to nourish the flame and take away the fear.” (John O’ Donoghue)

We’ve all had moments in life when we’ve been tossed about by forces we have very little control over. Yes, fate and misfortune can deal a savage hand at times that makes you wonder. We question a life force that seems to stand idly by in blind indifference to our plight. Life is a mystery that can bestow moments of great happiness and tragedy in equal measure. I’m always intrigued by people who somehow find hope when all around seems bleak. To be circumspect in times of great suffering takes real character. It’s as though these people can step outside the immediacy of their own pain, no matter how crushing, and allow their brokenness to become a gateway to truth. Etty Hillesum, a Dutch Jewish woman who died in Auschwitz wrote in her book ‘An Interrupted Life: The Diaries, 1941-1943’,

“I no longer shut myself away in my room, God. I try to look things straight in the face, even the worst crimes, and to discover the small naked human being amidst the monstrous wreckage caused by man’s senseless deeds…After this war two torrents will be unleashed on the world: a torrent of loving kindness and a torrent of hatred. I know that I should struggle against hatred.”

Etty’s voice rises from the mire challenging us to heed her cry. Listen carefully and her soft lament can still be heard. Against the savagery of the camps, her stoic courage shines like a beacon to inspire us all. At a time when we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust, it is good to remind ourselves that there comes a time in all our lives when we have to decide between hate and kindness. There’s a world of difference between people who genuinely care about others and those who cannot see beyond their own vested interest. Your life is very much determined by your outlook. Choose the right people to have around you. Let the others go. Simple as! To quote Auschwitz survivor Viktor Frankl,

“They could torture me but could not take away my power to choose… Everything can be taken away except ONE – to choose one’s attitude, one’s own way.”

Ultimately, you and you alone can shape the course of what is to come. Believe in yourself even when storm clouds gather and the way is not so clear. Strive to be the best version of you, complete with all your strengths and limitations. For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. The peace we seek along the way doesn’t come from superiority and might. It flows from the deepest, most vulnerable part of our being, that unmistakable core within that makes us unique. So do not be denied your rightful place in the universe.

“If one has courage, nothing can dim the light which shines within… Since a price will be exacted from us for everything we do or leave undone, we should pluck up the courage to win, to win back our finer and kinder and healthier selves. There is no failure as long as you learn from your experience, continue to work, and continue to press on for success.” (Maya Angelou)

In his book ‘Live While You Can’, Fr Tony Coote reflects on how he felt in the immediate aftermath of being with diagnosed with MND. He returned home to the relative sanctuary of his sitting room, and, somewhat numbed by the news he had just received, watched kids at play as it snowed outside. Their laughter was all the more striking against the backdrop of his inner turmoil. In this, his darkest hour, Tony unravelled the layers of mystery and arrived at a key truth. When you’re stripped of everything, you have to find something.

“I don’t know how long I spent praying but eventually those sounds of laughter and screams of delight penetrated my consciousness and stirred in me a strong desire that I have still not lost – the desire to live, no matter what the illness will bring.”

Tony lived out his final days as he’d lived his life in quiet obedience to the life force that sent him into this world. He had every reason to give up, to become embittered, to hide away. His firesome crusade to raise awareness and funds for Motor Neuron research culminated with the epic ‘Walk While You Can’ odyssey from Donegal to West Cork, a feat rendered all the more amazing given his deteriorating condition at the time. His legacy ripples out beyond the €800,000 raised over those few days. Anyone who knew Tony speaks of his boundless compassion and unwavering belief in all that is good. His song echoes out into the universe long after the last note was sung.

“I realise now that I have been able to transform some of the more difficult times of my early life into a positive way of living… I’ve always looked at situations and seen a way to accomplish what I wanted to do; therefore my earlier life and sometimes sad events have not the final word. Rather they are the means through which I have learned that I always had a choice – either to allow what others had done to me to crush me, or to decide that they would not determine how my life would be, that only I would do that.” (Tony Coote)

When you show vulnerability, you give others permission to do the same. Vulnerability is not weakness; it is our most accurate measurement of courage. This truth once discovered changes everything. Your hour of uncertainty creates an opening for the light to shine through. The storm clouds part and the landscape, though somewhat tinged by pain, glows with a hue you may have never noticed before. No bird soars too high if she soars with her own wings, no matter how broken they may be.

We have recently updated our website to reflect our new range of Waterford Camino options for 2020. Hope we get to share the path with you in the months ahead. For further information check out www.waterfordcamino.com or email Phil and Elaine directly at info@waterfordcamino.com

Phil Brennan

Posted on January 15, 2020

Posted in Phils Blog |

A new dawn – a new way

Some days, you just wish you could wipe the slate clean and start afresh. There’s something about a New Year that makes us want to re-boot and get our lives back on track. Light lingers that bit longer with each passing day nudging us to take that first step down a path we may not have travelled before. Something stirs us to seek out new frontiers, to dare to take that leap into the unknown. What awaits, only you can discover. That first step starts with you!

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” (Lao Tzu)

Time out off the beaten track leads to places you could never have imagined. It’s strangely liberating to leave the mobile on silent and simply abandon ourselves to the power of the universe. The Waterford Greenway invites us to do just that. The rush of energy you feel as you navigate the old railway line by bike is unreal. There’s a life force at play here, something primordial, elemental even, that carries you along. Our coordinates, once dimmed, become more focused. What has gone before yields to the opportunities this moment presents. It’s like we learn to see again, this time more clearly.

Early morning by the River Suir lulls us gently beyond the fretful stir of the city. Nature’s soothing balm seeps through the pores, unannounced, as swallows soar homeward in telepathic waves above the river’s flow. If you don’t slow down, stop even, you’ll miss it. So graceful, so disarming, challenging us to step outside what once defined us and attune our lives to a new frequency. Here, by the water’s edge, we come face to face with the mystery of it all. Stillness quietens the tempest of the mind and offers safe sanctuary from the passing storm.

“Stillness is vital to the world of the soul. If, as you age, you become more still, you will discover that stillness can be a great companion. The fragments of your life will have time to unify, the place where your soul shelter is wounded or broken will have time to knit and heal. You will be able to return to your self. In this stillness, you will engage your soul.” (John O’Donoghue)

It’s good to go outdoors, to re-charge the batteries, to feel the freedom. Once we venture beyond our normal boundaries, we leave the world as we know it behind. Psychologists call this a state of ‘flow’ where you are in a state of concentration or complete absorption with the activity at hand for its own sake, leading to great engagement and fulfilment as the normal concerns of self and time are forgotten. You become so engaged with your surroundings, you hardly notice your movement. The rhythm takes over, that subliminal part of our being that roots us in the universe. Light breaks through in ways once unseen. You sense you are not alone.

“The man whispered, “God, speak to me” and a meadowlark sang.
But, the man did not hear.
So, the man yelled, “God speak to me” and the thunder rolled across the sky.
But, the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said, “God let me see you” and a star shone brightly.
But, the man did not see.
And the man shouted, “God show me a miracle” and a life was born.
But, the man did not notice.
So the man cried out in despair, “Touch me God”, and let me know you’re
here” whereupon God reached down and touched the man.
But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.”
(Author unknown)

The veil lifts and our tempo quickens again in anticipation of what lies ahead. There’s no need for fancy temples or ornate rituals to navigate the unknown. As you walk out to the Mahon Falls in the heart of the Comeragh Mountains, you instinctively know that you are part of something greater than yourself; sheep, mountains, rocky hillsides, rolling waters – all chiselled from the same creative hand. Widen the lens a little and you see all the parts converge in one timeless kaleidoscope of vista and colour millions of years in the making. Everything is different, yet everything has its place. The waters roll from source above to the ocean below in unspoken obedience to the life force that makes it all possible. The mystical is oft’ closer than we realise.

Here by this amphitheatre of rock beneath the skies, the story of the universe is laid bare before us. The sun gleams from afar some 93 million miles away paying homage to our microscopic presence within a wider stratosphere of galaxies light years from where we stand and stare. Yet the world in its miniature, barest form has a significance too far beyond what the eye can see. The grazing of the sheep, the secluded sanctuary of the woods, the flowers and fruits, the tranquil tones of the river’s flow, birds singing, tiny insects, us; an eclectic overflow of creative energy that has been there since time began. And to think that it all started with some 13.8 billion years ago.

“Whenever I begin to question whether God exists, I look up to the sky and surely there, right there, between the sun and the moon, stands my grandmother, singing a long meter hymn, a song somewhere between a moan and a lullabye and I know faith is the evidence of things unseen.” (Maya Angelou)

Hold onto your dreams and hopes for the year ahead with a very loose grip. Once you take that first step, abandon the illusion of control. Do your best. Let life do the rest. Learn more, laugh more and seize on the opportunities that each new day presents. Often the universe will speak to you in ways you least expect. We are a tiny yet significant melodic movement in a wider symphony. We soon come to know that the key to life is to make time for others we pass along the way. It is then the pieces fall into place. Trust yourself as you venture off the beaten track and trust in the universe to lead you home.

“We think that we are more intelligent than the universe. This universe that created the sunsets and the rainbows. This universe that created the stars and the moon. We think that we know more about what’s in our best interests than the source that created all that exists…Life does not listen to your logic. It goes on its own way. The way you think it’s going to unfold is not the way it’s going to unfold. There’s a higher order running the show.” (Robin Sharma)

We have recently updated our website to reflect our new range of Waterford Camino options for 2020. Hope we get to share the path with you in the months ahead. For further information check out www.waterfordcamino.com or email Phil and Elaine directly at info@waterfordcamino.com