Author Archives: Phil Brennan

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    Unscripted Moments

    May the blessing of light be on you,
    light without and light within.
    May the blessed sunlight shine upon you
    and warm your heart till it glows like a great fire
    and strangers may warm themselves as well as friends.
    And may the light shine from your eyes,
    like a candle set in the window of a home,
    bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm.
    (Adapted from a traditional Irish blessing)

    There are moments on Camino that stay with you long after you’ve made your way home. We recently led a group of International pilgrims along St Declan’s Way using the Guest House in Mount Melleray Abbey as our base for the four nights. It’s often said that good company makes the journey feel that bit shorter. Most who set out from the Rock of Cashel to take this age-old pilgrim trail to Ardmore have never met before. Stories converge in rhythm with the universe to make the wanderer feel alive again. That’s the magic of Camino.

    Unscripted moments linger long into the night to guide us on our way. Sometimes, unknowingly, a flicker of light seeps into the inner vault and allows us see what might have once passed us by. It enters unannounced in ways you least expect. The trail may be timeless but the journey evolves in sync with those beside you. Each person has a story to tell, a worry to resolve, a decision to make, a memory to retrieve, a family to love. The pathway is shaped as we walk.

    One such person who joined us last month had made the trip all the way from Toronto, Canada. This is her story of her time with us. Margaret has honed in on what really matters in life. We were the privileged ones to share the path with her…

    My St. Declan’s Way pilgrimage was exhilarating, enriching, thoroughly unforgettable and great fun – thanks in no small part to the warmth and kindness of the two of you.

    As I enter the final quarter of my life, the time was right to return to my childhood home of Ireland. And, while I know that the relentless drive that has stood me so well in life and in business is an innate part of me, I recognize that it is now time to seriously temper it. The pilgrimage enabled me to reflect on the past and my hope for a calm, meaningful life in the future. I completed the journey with a sense of reconciliation and hope.

    The beauty of the landscape was mesmerizing – the winding country lanes, the steep (waaaaay too steep at times!) hills, the misty river scapes, the lush green fields, the dappled light of the forests, the expansive beaches and blue sea. I will remember it always, as I will the people we met along the way: Iain (Journeying UK Leader), Conor (Guest Guide), John G. (Pilgrim Paths Author/Rock of Cashel Guide), Gearoid (Lismore Guide), James (Ardmore Guide), Keith (Lafcadio Hearn Gardens Guide), John the bus driver and his dad Laurence, my fellow pilgrims and Liam Lynch who came to life through his story, Grainne (St. Declan’s Way Chairperson), Audrey (Deise Refugee Response) and, of course, Brother Seamus from Mount Melleray Abbey. While I find the concept of true piety difficult to grasp, I have come closer to an understanding of it since meeting him.

    I will especially remember Katya, Galiana, Anastasia and Vira. The “Ukrainian refugees” about whom we have been hearing through the news media for the past few months came to life through them. Their spirit of survival and determination to make a meaningful and happy life for themselves and their children was as inspiring as the sadness evoked by their losses. I will certainly remember them in my prayers and wish them the very best for the future.

    Closest to my heart, though, will be the memory of you two. You are extraordinary people with an incredible capacity to relate to others and a great generosity of spirit. Phil, I thoroughly enjoyed our chats and our kidding about and will always be grateful to you for dragging me over the mountain. Elaine, you radiate an inner light that touches everyone you meet. And you make the best scones in the world!

    My Irish experience continued after leaving you, At the bus station I met a nice, young man from Turkey, Haroun, who is in Ireland to study English. He kindly loaded my luggage onto the bus. And then, the bus driver! She was a slightly built, exquisitely beautiful auburn-haired woman – one would have expected her to have stepped out of a painting rather than behind the wheel of a Bus Eireann coach. I expressed dismay at not being able to find a taxi for my luggage when she told me as I boarded the bus that she would be stopping at the Customs House rather than the main bus terminal. She told me in a lovely soft voice not to worry – she would see that I got a taxi. In keeping with my new-found mindset of not worrying about everything, I took her at her word and sat back and enjoyed the drive back to Dublin. When we arrived at Heuston Station, she left the bus and was gone for quite a while. When she returned, she beckoned me off the bus and introduced me to a taxi driver whom, she assured me, would look after me. Can you believe it? She had gone off to find a taxi for me!

    I was so touched that I wrote to Bus Eireann to commend them on having such an exceptional employee and asking them to convey my thanks to her. After writing to you a short while ago, I continued reading my email and found an acknowledgement from Bus Eireann, indicating that they would pass along my message to the driver, Laura.

    Along St. Declan’s Way, I did not mention it as I could not trust myself to speak of it without falling apart. My second youngest sister, Laura, died a couple of months ago of cancer. Naturally, I was grief stricken over losing a sister and seeing her suffer so much in the end. I was also profoundly unsettled and suddenly acutely aware of my own mortality: while I had never consciously thought of it, I had subconsciously always assumed that as the eldest of the family, I would be the first to go. This death played a large part in my motivation to undertake the Pilgrimage.

    Receiving such kindness at the end of it from someone named Laura seems more than a coincidence. I am too grounded a person to interpret it as a sign. But, this connection has added a completeness to an already very meaningful journey.

    Like the robin on our walk, or the young woman from Ukraine, Vira, who sang so beautifully for us, the most extraordinary and grace-giving things occur every now and then in life.

    May the day never burden.
    May dawn find you awake and alert.
    May you approach your new day with dreams, possibilities and promises.
    May evening find you glad and fulfilled.
    May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected.
    (John O’Donohue)

    (Special thanks to Margaret, from Canada, for sharing her story with us)

    Dr. Phil Brennan and Elaine are looking forward to leading groups from around Ireland and beyond on our signature ‘Celtic Camino in the steps of St Declan’ over the coming months in association with Mount Melleray Abbey and Cahir House Hotel along with our ‘3 Day Camino Escape’ with The Tower Hotel Waterford as our base. We will also be teaming up with Original Irish Hotels to roll out unique Camino experiences to include Glendalough, St. Mullins, Ardmore, Gougane Barra and Dingle and we look forward to leading our first groups along St David’s Way in Wales this Autumn. You can check date availability through our website at www.waterfordcamino.com or contact us directly on info@waterfordcamino.com

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    ’Til we find our place in the path unwinding…

    There’s far too much to take in here
    More to find than can ever be found
    But the sun rolling high through the sapphire sky
    Keeps great and small on the endless round…

    On Camino, some days stay with you long after the walking is over. Saturday 30th of April was one such day. We organised a special ‘time-out’ with a group of Ukrainian families who were living in the Sports Centre in Dungarvan days after their abrupt exodus from their homeland. They hopped on the bus with eager anticipation – women, children, helpers, translators – all of us happy to be there, none of us quite sure what to expect. The light was trying to break through the grey skies that morning… a sign perhaps of what was to come.

    Two weeks previously, we sang for them in the Lafcadio Hearn Gardens, Tramore. That Good Friday evening, as the cherry blossom fell from the trees and the waves rolled into shore, we felt the pain of a people we had never met before. Their faces conceal a deeper anguish. They loved the serenity of the gardens so much, maybe we could show them more. Lafcadio had cast his spell on this enchanted place as once disparate voices now merged as one beneath the Azumaya. Lilting harmonies to the refrain of ‘Will you go lassie go’ lingered in the evening air and we could hear the call to “the blooming heather” of the Comeraghs. The seed was planted for our day away in this garden by the sea – anything to lift their spirits and to let them know they were not alone. It was a simple gesture of unspoken solidarity.

    War is a senseless desecration of all that is good in the universe. One man’s delusions have scarred the landscape of a neighbouring country and wreaked merciless suffering on the lives of so many innocent people. No ideology can justify such horror. The people who emerged from the Sports Centre for our day away had lived the lives we live only weeks before. In an instant, the world as they knew it was no more. As we set off on the bus, their natural instinct was to turn around and share the moment with those they had left behind. A song was needed. Spotify and our Bosch speaker came to the rescue, and, before we knew it, a wave of melodic notes in foreign tones lifted the mood and swept us onwards on our way. It was beautiful, it was stoic and it echoed from somewhere deep in their being. With music came laughter. Not all of us could quite scale the vocal heights of the chorus. But we kept going. The theme for the day arrived unannounced. It got me thinking…

    There is power in an idea no matter how simple it may be. We all have the potential to be creative, to think outside the box, to anticipate what could happen before it happens. One creative spark is all it takes to make a real difference to the lives of so many. It triggers a chain reaction of sorts that takes on a life of its own. Once the decision was made to run with the day, Hallahan’s Coach Hire agreed to look after the transport, Jenny Kiersey in Kilmacthomas was on board to sort the catering, Garvan Cummins, the Greenway Man, had bikes arranged, Audrey Hallahan in Hallahan’s Pharmacy had the Ukrainian families fully briefed on plans. Within an hour, everything was in place. One quick phone call to each person was all that was needed. Generosity of this kind goes below the radar of the passing world. Against the darkened backdrop, a light was shining, well before the dawning of the day.

    We find reserves of strength when we’re tested most. These Ukrainian people have courage in abundance. They have stopped following the news closely and have accepted that their stay here will be considerably longer than the 3 weeks they had planned for. They see this time as an “adventure” until the day comes when they are free to return home again. Home is Ukraine. It will always be. The mothers are of a unique kind. While their children are settling into school in Dungarvan, many are already doing online classes in English to help them navigate their way here. They WhatsApp their husbands and parents back home each evening reassuring them that they will be fine; encouraging, loving and strong. On the bus to the Mahon Falls, they show us photos from the life they once lived in Kiev or Lviv. They could have been us! They love Dungarvan and are overwhelmed by the warmth of the welcome they have received there. They told us all they knew of Ireland before they arrived was “green fields, Guinness and St. Patrick”. Their smiles disguise their brave resolve to persevere. They will be back home – some day!

    There is no greater therapy than time spent out in the great outdoors. Once you step out into the wild, your pulse beats to rhythm of all that is around you. The Mahon Falls in the heart of the Comeragh Mountains has a mystique that slows the stirrings of mind. In the stillness here, you find perspective! A soft mist gently hovered below this cathedral of stone as we made our way out to the Falls. There we were, 44 Ukrainians and 6 of us Irish, sharing a pathway carved out since time began. Like the pilgrims of old, the natural world showed us the way. We were summoned unknowingly to this hallowed space by the soothing sound of distant waters. The children did what children always do – they played. The came alive again as if freed from all they could not understand. The mothers were happy to stand there in silence and soak in the mesmeric power of it all.

    In the moment, the universe never felt so reassuring. A deep peace fell in soulful streams from above. Against this towering backdrop, each tiny, miniscule life below had its value restored. Unscripted prayers rolled in quiet unbroken waves to the ocean beyond. There was symmetry in all that played out before us. They sang again – this time with more abandon than before. We knew they were happy.

    It’s the simple things that make life worth living. Lunch was just perfect beneath the viaduct in Kilmacthomas; plates of sandwiches, Flahavan’s flapjacks, Kiersey’s apple pie… we couldn’t ask for more! A local pharmacist, Jenny Kirwan, dropped by before we left with additional supplies should we need re-fuelling after our exertions on the bike. The cycle along the Waterford Greenway from Durrow into Dungarvan was the highlight for the kids. They couldn’t wait to get started! Garvan had his hands full trying to rein them in as he sorted bicycles and helmets for everyone. Once feet touched pedals a feverish excitement took over the whole lot of us. We free wheeled our way to Dungarvan, just about in one piece. Worries receded just in the moment as the welcome rays of sunshine kicked in to warm our bones. We laughed and we sang and we pedalled and before we knew it we were right back where we started. We were all in no rush for the day to end.

    Gratitude has a value beyond words. When it was time to part, we gathered together outside the Sports Centre looking out across the Bay. Their appreciation for all who had made the day possible was of a kind that I have rarely seen before. They thanked us with their smiles, with their hugs and with the warmth of their goodbyes. We knew we would meet again. Many spoke of the peace they felt along the way; for some by the Falls, others as they walked to the river’s flow in Crough Woods, others as they watched their children breeze by en route to Dungarvan. These people have known journeys in recent times we can only imagine. Our paths crossed and we are the better for it. As glowing embers streamed across the evening sky, we sensed the connection with the life force that made it all possible.

    It’s the circle of life and it moves us all
    Through despair and hope, through faith and love
    ’Til we find our place on the path unwinding
    In the circle, the circle of life.
    (Tim Rice)

    Dr. Phil Brennan and Elaine are looking forward to leading groups from around Ireland and beyond on our signature ‘Celtic Camino in the steps of St Declan’ over the coming months in association with Mount Melleray Abbey and Cahir House Hotel along with our ‘3 Day Camino Escape’ with The Tower Hotel Waterford as our base. We will also be teaming up with Original Irish Hotels to roll out unique Camino experiences to include Glendalough, St. Mullins, Ardmore, Gougane Barra and Dingle and we look forward to leading our first groups along St David’s Way in Wales this Autumn. You can check availability on www.waterfordcamino.com or contact us directly on info@waterfordcamino.com

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    All around the blooming heather…

    I was recently invited by renowned Pilgrim trails writer John G. O’Dwyer to launch his book ‘50 Best Irish Walks’ in his home village of Upperchurch, Co. Tipperary. The scene that greeted Elaine and myself when we arrived in Kinnane’s pub was as welcoming as you could wish for – the warm glow of the log fire, the animated tones of people chatting as they queued patiently to have their book signed, the alluring aroma of Tapas dishes being passed around by Fergal and his team eager to ensure that no one went hungry. It eased us back unknowingly to an age old Irish hospitality that made us feel as though we belonged from the moment we arrived. Some things in life are worth preserving. I was a little nervous given the task ahead. That soon dissolved and the pulse slowed to the pace of the evening dew beyond the hearth as it dropped slowly from the blooming heather.

    When it was my time to say a few words, I did acknowledge that it was a brave move on John G.’s part to invite a Waterford man to Tipperary on the eve of the first round of the hurling championship. They love their walks and their hurling in these parts. I thanked them for loaning us Liam Cahill and intimated gently that we were in no rush to hand him back. Sport has a way of bridging the divide. It lightened the way for me as I set out to pay homage to the brilliance of the book and the person who had scripted it. This book is John G.’s All-Ireland – a monumental feat that takes us on a journey of 50 stunning ‘mild to moderate’ walks around this island of ours many within touching distance of where we live. It’s rare to find a book so timely yet so assuredly timeless!

    The car journey back to Tramore that evening gave us time to process what we had just been part of. There was something about the book, the place, the people that stayed with us long after we left the warmth of Kinnane’s behind. The common thread that landed so many hardened souls in one room that evening was the respect we all have for John G. There’s something irrepressible in the spirit of this man. He is a master craftsman, unassumingly wise and visionary, who has a unique gift when it comes to capturing the magnetic draw of ancient trails that have been etched in the land over centuries. He knows that once we take that first step into the unknown, something magical happens. We enter a space the world does not always offer. The universe has a way of liberating us to be free again, to carry with us only what matters most and to leave the rest behind.

    ‘50 Best Irish Walks’ entices us all to embrace the power of the great outdoors. It is not just for walking groups, or hikers, or the supremely fit or for those who love their adventure into the wild. It is for all of these and more. As John G. reminds us, more and more are now being drawn to “the wilder places in what sometimes amounts to a tidal wave of humanity”. John G.’s book nudges us gently beyond the safe sanctuary of our own locality to embrace the stunning plethora of walks within a short drive of our homes. Of the 50 walks, at least 15 are within an hour’s drive of where we live. The same could be said for anyone on the island of Ireland. “Simply put, the richest reward that comes with exploring the Irish landscape is the fact that there is almost always something surprising and enthralling lying around every corner”.

    Outdoor walks ease us gently beyond the hold of the world as we know it. Unknowingly, we let go of what we cannot change and we tap into a raw, primordial courage that lies within us. What may have worried us starting out is viewed with new eyes by the time we return home. Perspective is everything. The world may not have changed but you have. From here, there is no going back. In the words of the man himself; “Deep in our subconscious, we seem hard-wired to seek green spaces when daily dilemmas threaten to overwhelm us. Secluded and evocative, these serene landscapes offer a quick avenue to relaxation and mellow thoughts.”

    John G.’s book dares us to push out the boundaries. Each walk is a canvas on which he sprinkles beautifully descriptive hues and images with short historical anecdotes that nod towards something deeper and timeless waiting to be discovered. Each page takes us by the hand and leads us on a journey as though we are there. The author’s description of ‘The River Barrow Towpath’ illustrates his breathtaking capacity to weave light, story and mystery into the picture in a way that allows us to visualise and feel it for ourselves:

    “These days the river is fully navigable for 68km from Athy in Co. Kildare to St Mullins in Co. Carlow. It boasts a towpath al the way with the result that it has now enticed me along to enjoy some of Ireland’s best waterside walking… Starting from the graceful arches of the Ballyteigelea Bridge, I tag the grassy towpath south where once teams of sweating horses drew barges laden with grain to upstream breweries. The River Barrow was for centuries, not only an important source of power to industry, it was also a crucial transport route from Waterford harbour northwards to the rich agricultural heartlands of Kilkenny and Carlow. The coming railways ended the Barrow’s glory days as an important trade artery, but the river has now been cleverly re-invented as a recreational playground.

    Occasional strollers apart, I have the riverbank to myself. Hereabouts, the Barrow is in no haste on its 192km journey from the Slieve Bloom Mountains to meet the Atlantic and this brings the thought that, while successive generations come and go with their trivial cares and concerns, this great river journeys onwards eternally… Here an otter breaks cover from the riverbank as I pass, while a bevy of swans glide serenely upstream in evening stillness. Onwards then past the riverboat community at St Mullins Lock as evening mist creates a floaty river light. This happens where the first saltwater from the Atlantic tides meets the fresh water of the River Barrow and the different water temperatures often create a soft mist that imbues the area with a surreal sense of mystery.”

    John G. steers us to a place we may not have found on our own. There is a profound sense in his writing that we are walking in the steps of those who have walked this way before. Whilst, in his words, “the past is never far away”, this moment in the universal scheme of things, is our moment to leave our own imprint on the land. Here on the outer frontiers, we connect to something deeper. We sense with each new step that we are part of something greater than ourselves… that we are not alone. Nature becomes our cathedral calling us beyond the safe sanctuaries we have left behind to a place where we tap into something deeper within ourselves. The unscripted chats along the way have a way of reminding us that kindness is everything in this life, it is all that really matters.

    ‘50 Best Irish Walks’ ignites a spark that is already in us all. Life is lived at such a pace now, we all need to open the shutters and let the light in, to breathe, to process, to soak in the beauty of the universe, to walk in sacred spaces in the spirit of those who have walked these same paths before. The conflicting currents of our world leave us wanting more. The gift lies in the solitude. In the silence, we come face to face with the wonder of it all. Something happens that draws us back to where we belong.

    And we’ll all go together to pluck wild mountain thyme,
    all around the blooming heather, will you go lassie go.

    John G. O’Dwyer’s book ‘50 Best Irish Walks – Easy to Moderate’ is published by Currach Books 2022 and is available in all good bookstores.

    Dr. Phil Brennan and Elaine are looking forward to leading groups from around Ireland and beyond on our signature ‘Celtic Camino in the steps of St Declan’ over the coming months in association with Mount Melleray Abbey and Cahir House Hotel, along with our ‘Celtic Camino in Ireland’s South East’ and our ‘3 Day Camino Escape’ with the Tower Hotel, Waterford as our base. We will also be teaming up with Original Irish Hotels to roll out unique Camino experiences to include Glendalough, St. Mullins, Ardmore, Gougane Barra and Dingle and we look forward to leading our first groups along St David’s Way in Wales this Autumn. You can contact Phil and Elaine directly on info@waterfordcamino.com

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    A voyage of discovery – St. Declan’s Way

    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)

    It’s one of the tourism phenomena of the 21St century. Seeking meaning beyond materialism, the number of pilgrim walkers completing the Camino of St James in Spain has risen from fewer than 1,000 in 1985 to an astonishing 350,000 in 2019. For most of these modern-day pilgrims, the Camino, with its emphasis on simplicity, mindfulness and reflective experience, is as much a voyage of inner discovery as a physical challenge. Stressing, not so much the final destination as the journey itself, hiking ancient paths has come, in many ways, to reflect the strongly minimalistic spirit of our age.

    Until recently, however, few 21st-century pilgrims would have imagined Ireland as a destination for spirituality-based hiking. Conventional wisdom, even among the Irish walking fraternity, held that this country possessed little in the way of penitential paths – for proper pilgrim walking you had to head for Spain.

    Many will be surprised, therefore, to discover that Ireland has a dense network of mystical paths and a vibrant pilgrim tradition, with most of these routes long predating the Camino. Lough Derg was, and still is, one of Europe’s foremost pilgrim destinations, while medieval penitents also journeyed to Glendalough, Skellig Michael, Gougane Barra, Croagh Patrick and Ardmore. Despite past popularity, however, Ireland’s sacred trails were almost totally forgotten for generations, since virtually nothing was done, until recently, to reignite awareness of their existence or promote their use.

    It is sometimes said, however, that the past never completely vanished, but sooner or later comes to revisit us. And so, it has recently come to pass that Waterford’s patron saint – who is regarded by many historians as the first Christian missionary to preach the gospel in Ireland – is set to reclaim his pilgrim inheritance.

    Born into a royal family of the Deise region, St Declan was initially taught about Christ by a holy man named Dioma. A strong tradition holds that Declan then journeyed to study Christianity in Rome and returned as a bishop to his native Waterford during the early 5th Century.

    An ancient pilgrim trail that he footed, and was followed in his honour by many medieval pilgrims, is now being walked again as a richly symbolic journey. Meandering through extravagantly varied terrain in Tipperary and Waterford that is rich with antiquities, the newly revitalised St Declan’s Way commemorates the saint’s excursion from his monastery at Ardmore to the royal seat at Cashel.

    The reason for his journey was the arrival in Ireland of a British-born evangelist who was also preaching the gospel. Which of them would become the leading Christian saint among the Irish? To sort out this conundrum, tradition has Declan travelling from Ardmore to Cashel to meet St Patrick. Here, it was agreed that the Waterford saint would have unchallenged authority over the Deise, with Patrick becoming primate of all Ireland. Patrick also promised never to enter the territory of Declan – so honour was maintained on all sides.

    A fully upgraded 115km walking route, commemorating this historic journey and meeting, was re-opened last October by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys. Linking Cashel with monastic Ardmore, it follows the route taken by Declan on his way to meet Patrick. The result is that Ireland now has a spirituality-based trail that is comparable in length to the amount walked by most pilgrims visiting the Camino.

    This is, of course, all well and good: it is one thing to put a path in place, but without marketing and packaging no pilgrim trail can become a true success. Ireland has never been particularly noted for promoting its abundant spiritual assets – and this is where Waterford Camino Tours have become innovators by stepping in to fill a void.

    Recognising that it is not an easy task to walk St Declan’s Way, but that in completing it, many people discover courage they didn’t believe they possessed, Phil Brennan and Elaine Harvey have set about promoting and packaging the route. This now allows, their clients to enjoy the authentic experience of a long-distance pilgrim walk in Ireland with accommodation, transport, food and guiding all taken care of.

    I have walked some of St Declan’s Way in their company and have been struck by how they give people the space to slow down and process their thoughts. By the time they have finished in Ardmore, most people find their perspective on life has become clearer and more comforting, which is a wonderful gift for any individual. Having greatly enjoyed walking, talking and breaking bread with some Waterford Camino groups completing St Declan’s Way, I would heartily recommend the experience as an unforgettable one not to be missed.

    May the blessing of light be on you,
    light without and light within.
    May the blessed sunlight shine upon you
    and warm your heart till it glows like a great fire
    and strangers may warm themselves as well as friends.
    And may the light shine from your eyes,
    like a candle set in the window of a home,
    bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm.
    (Adapted from a traditional Irish blessing)

    About the writer: John G. O’Dwyer is a travel consultant from Thurles, Co. Tipperary and a regular contributor to The Irish Times. A keen hill walker and rock climber, John founded the Mid-Tipp Hillwalkers Club and has almost 30 years’ experience of leading hill-walking and mountain-climbing groups in Ireland, the UK, Europe and Africa. He is the author of the renowned ‘Pilgrim Paths in Ireland – A Guide’ among many other books recounting his time navigating Ireland’s pilgrim trails and is currently readying for a new book due to be released in Spring 2022 titled ‘50 Best Irish Walks’.

    Dr. Phil Brennan and Elaine are looking forward leading groups from the States, Norway, Britain and Ireland on our signature ‘Celtic Camino in the steps of St Declan’ over the coming months in association with Cahir House Hotel and Mount Melleray Abbey along with our ‘Celtic Camino in Ireland’s South East’ in association with The Tower Hotel, Waterford. We welcome our first groups from Celbridge and from Killarney this March. We will also be teaming up with Original Irish Hotels to roll out unique Camino experiences to include Glendalough, St. Mullins, Ardmore, Gougane Barra and Dingle later in 2022. You can contact Phil and Elaine directly on info@waterfordcamino.com

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    In the falling of the wave

    Waves are inspiring
    Not because they rise and fall
    But that each time they fall
    They never fail to rise again.
    (Josh Billings)

    I’ve been spending a little time in my hometown of Gorey lately. It’s has been great to connect again with people I may not have seen for years. Where you grow up never quite leaves you. It becomes part of who you are. The loop around the local town park has a magnetic draw now every bit as much as it did then. The unscripted chats with familiar faces along the way carry you back to a time you had never really left behind. So much has changed, yet here, in the town I still call home, so much remains the same. The ebb and flow of life has a peculiar way of bringing you right back to where we started.

    There’s an elemental solidarity that kicks in when you meet a lifelong friend. Now that we’re free to mingle again, the simplest of encounters have taken on a whole new meaning – a day at the races, a meal together, a walk on the beach, a glass of vino or two. The chats invariably drift into recalling the days of youth as though they were yesterday. No matter what has happened in between, nothing dims the value we place on each other. Few of us have cruised through life unscathed. We’ve had days when we’ve glided the wave, others when our hopes came crashing down around us. Conflicting currents have led us to where we are now. With years comes wisdom. There are things we all wish we could have done differently. There’s a code between friends that needs no words… a loyalty too!

    I loved growing up so close to the sea. Courtown, as a child, was our very own exotic paradise; sun drenched beaches, the amusements, the walks in from Ardamine to the harbour for our weekly chips and can of club orange – one taste of the sea breeze years later and you could still smell the vinegar. I remember working on the ghost trains in my teenage years. No one warned me on my first day to keep my feet off the track when it came to slowing down the returning train. It was grand if there was only one or two on board – an entire family – let’s just say I limped home that night not sure whether to laugh or to cry. I think the laughter won out. I’d still be likely to do the same. Sur God love me!

    Last Sunday, we took my mam out to the harbour for a stroll and a cuppa. We were lulled seawards by the sound of waves rolling into shore. It was beautiful. In her daylight reverie, Mam retrieved from somewhere deep within stories of people she often met on her early visits to this seaside resort. There are faces mam knew she would no longer see; Eric and Maureen Willoughby from ‘The Taravie’, Robbie Mac. From ‘The 19th’, Vincent Browne from ‘The Courtown Hotel’ and so many more – all hard working, all kind, all who created a space that put a value on everyone who came through their doors. Mam had ran a pub and restaurant for most of her life. Their ilk is of a kind that cannot be found so easily these days. Some people leave imprints on the sands of time no tide can erase.

    Mam insisted we close our eyes and take a moment to soak in the stillness. We followed her lead. It was a precious time. There we were, side by side, small, tiny, miniature creatures alongside a vast expanse of limitless ocean that eased out far beyond where the eye could see. Wave after wave rolled to shore in a timeless reminder that we are part of something far greater than ourselves. Each wave carried a goal in life that I could never have reached on my own; my days as a teacher in Waterford, the Movies@Gorey project that I rolled out over a decade ago, our tours and concerts with The Peace Choir, the 4 years of research and subsequent thesis for my PhD – all leading to the journey Elaine and I have embarked on with Waterford Camino Tours. In the moment I felt gratitude for the life force that sent me here and for the people in my life that have made it all possible.

    It was getting cooler now and it was time to go. The light re-appeared between parting clouds as if to nod us gently in the direction of home. I remembered a time some 20 years previously when it was not so easy. Storm clouds gathered then in a way I could never have imagined. February 12th, 2002 jolted my life into the unknown and I still feel the tremors. I was in a foreign land with nowhere to turn. I knew instantaneously that my life would never be quite the same again. And so it proved. The calm persona on the outside conceals a deeper, more fragile, truth. It has taken me a few years to find my voice again. Our past does not define us; it helps us place a value on what really matters. Those who judge from the wings have no idea. They do not shape what you can still become.

    This moment by the sea was strangely cathartic. Little did my mam know what I was re-living. Elaine sensed it. It was like stepping outside myself for a moment and watching all that happened pass before me in the prism of my mind’s eye like flickered reels on an old film. My life is very different now and so am I. I know that I am where I am today thanks to the people I have around me. They have been my rock. They never stopped believing in me even when I was most inclined to doubt myself. They have guided me when my own coordinates became dimmed. Human kindness has the power to reach you at the deepest of levels and turn your life around.

    To swim against the waves is an impossible task, but, if you can manage to, you will reach a shoreline beyond your wildest dreams. Many of you carry burdens far greater than I ever will. Hang on in there no matter what the world thinks. You are a child of the universe, no less than the waves at sea, you have every right to be here. Your story matters. God is love and those who trust in love want for nothing. When you’re feeling like you have nothing left to give, remember the challenges you have pulled through to be where you are now, the setbacks you have overcome, the battles you have won. The journey through life can test you to the limits, I know, but still with courage, you learn to catch the wave again as if for the very first time.

    Here I am again, walking in circles around the shore.
    Lost after I found the truth,
    Heart turned upside down once more.
    The sound of the waves are healing,
    covering what the pain is revealing.
    The sand cushions my footsteps
    so that they may take me,
    and help me open the next door.
    (Renee Rentmeester)

    Dr. Phil Brennan and Elaine are looking forward leading groups from the States, Norway, Britain and Ireland on our signature ‘Celtic Camino in the steps of St Declan’ over the coming months in association with Cahir House Hotel and Mount Melleray Abbey along with our ‘Celtic Camino in Ireland’s South East’ in association with The Tower Hotel, Waterford. We welcome our first groups from Celbridge and from Killarney this March. We will also be teaming up with Original Irish Hotels to roll out unique Camino experiences to include Glendalough, St. Mullins, Ardmore, Gougane Barra and Dingle later in 2022. You can contact Phil and Elaine directly on info@waterfordcamino.com

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    Time to rise again

    ‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well… for there is a force of love
    moving through the universe that holds us fast and will never let us go.’
    (Mother Julian, 14th Century)

    It is time to re-boot the system and get up and going again. We can start planning without the fear that we may have to go it alone. The Camino of life is all about company and without it the path seems that bit more obscure. We’ve felt isolation like never before. If we’ve learned anything from this time it’s that human connection is everything – we need people on the journey. We now emerge from the fog a little wiser for what we have been through. It is not a time to look back. It is time to re-set our coordinates, to re-imagine, to dare to believe all over again.

    This time 20 years ago, I had just returned to teaching in Waterford. I’d managed our family business, the ‘64’ Lounge and Restaurant, in Gorey, Co. Wexford for 2 years but wanted to get back to a career I loved. Up to then, my life was cruising nicely at low altitude. There was little turbulence to throw me off course. I worked hard and lived for my chosen profession. In an instant, all changed. It was tough. I stumbled onwards in the dark no longer sure of my bearings. I felt alone in a world I could no longer understand. A light seeped through the ethereal sky to guide me on my way. Friends carried me when my own spirit began to wane. I had to find a courage I had not known before. Sometimes, you need to reach into the depths before you can rise again.

    We co-write the script of our destiny. The Camino of life does not follow a pre-determined course. It adapts to all that happens along the way. How we respond to those times when we’re tested most can make or break us. It can be easy to retreat, to withdraw into ourselves, to turn back. When the struggle is real, rest awhile and go easy. Keep believing in you. We are made of the same stuff of the universe, stardust even, a creative force that endures to the last. The power you need lies within. It’s there you come face to face with who you are. From somewhere deep inside you find the courage to get up and go again.

    Your attitude will determine where you go from here. It can be easier to gravitate right back to the familiar and miss out on the opportunities this time presents. How strange that the nature of life is change, yet the nature of human beings is to resist change. If you’re not happy, re-set your bearings. If there’s something you’re itching to do, go out there and do it. Visualise, even dream, suspend your thinking for a while and allow your deepest instincts take over, draft a plan, then go for it. This first step, choosing a goal and sticking to it, changes everything. Choose wisely!

    Life reverberates to a new beat when we surrender to the unknown. Here, on the periphery, we sense we are not alone. The outdoors offer refuge beyond the reach of a busy world. No matter how great the torment, nature, in all its wild abandon, reminds us that all will be well. The oceans roll into shore with melodic ease as crimson skies unfurl the promise of a new day. A walk along the river bank, or stroll across the headland, or swim in the sea, or cycle on the Greenway, or trail along an ancient path… all have the power to re-connect you to source as if for the very first time. Natures way is the only way!

    Anthony de Mello tells the story of the Sannyasi, or wise one, and the precious stone… The Sannyasi had reached the outskirts of the village and settled down under a tree for the night when a villager came running up to him and said ‘Master, I have left my people and travelled here in the hope that you might give me the precious stone that will change my fortunes for evermore.’ The Sannyasi looked at the man, somewhat bemused, and stayed silent. The villager sensed his confusion and sought to clarify. ‘Last night the Lord Shiva appeared to me in a dream and told me that if I went to the outskirts of the village at dusk, I should find a Sannyasi who would give me a precious stone that would make me rich forever.’ The Sannyasi rummaged in his bag and pulled out a stone. ‘He probably meant this one’, as he handed the stone over to the villager. ‘I found it on a forest path some days ago. You can certainly have it.’ The man gazed at the stone in wonder. It was a diamond; larger than any precious stone he had seen before. He took the diamond and walked away. All night he tossed about in bed unable to sleep. Next day at the crack of dawn he woke the Sannyasi and said, ‘Give me the wealth that makes it possible for you to give this diamond away so easily’.

    Have a look around and see the ‘Sannyasi’ or wise ones who have made the deepest impact on your life. Often they’re the ones who work quietly below the radar. They do not act for show. They have known adversity and yet rise and rise again with stoic courage. Their wisdom lies camouflaged in the silence of their witness. They have unravelled the layers and have discovered for themselves the noblest truth of all – kindess is everything. They embody the spirit of the sacred word. Their love is of a kind that transcends time and space, creeds and ideologies. Their sense of fun, even when the struggle is great, is infectious. Time with them is like a balm for the soul; accepting, reassuring and such fun. You leave their presence all the better for the experience, knowing deep down you can still be the person they never stopped believing in. The truest diamond shines from within.

    I want to leave the last word this month to Diana Beresford-Kroeger’s whose book ‘To Speak for the Trees’ is uplifting and thought provoking in equal measure. Diana’s lineage can be traced back to the Beresfords of Curraghmore Estate in West Waterford but her path in life was very much shaped by events beyond the sanctuary of her surrounds. She was orphaned as a child and could so easily have been sent to the Magdalene Laundries. Instead, the O’ Donoghue elders in West Cork, from her mother’s side of the family, took her under their wing and Diana became the last ward under the Brehon Laws. Over the course of three summers, she was taught the Celtic triad of mind, body and soul, rooted in a vision of nature that values trees and forests as fundamental to human survival and spirituality. Diana became a prodigiously gifted scientist and ecological visionary who has challenged people the world over to see the universe in a whole new light.

    ‘To Speak for the Trees’ is full on inspiring anecdotes. One of note describes the day of the ‘field experiment’ when she and one of the elders, Pat, were left to harvest and entire field with no access to a tractor. With the inclement weather fast approaching, and the imminent threat it posed to the harvest, Pat and Diana devised a plan; his job to scythe the field one row at a time, hers to bind the sheaves and then arrange them into pyramid shape that kept the heads off the ground, so that the barley grain could dry and cure in the air. Inch by inch, row by row, they made it. The harvest was gathered before the sun went down on the day. It became a defining moment in Diana’s life…

    ‘It taught me the most valuable lesson of my life. Looking out on the field that morning, I didn’t believe
    we could finish the cut. It was too big a job and I was too small a helper. But because I love Pat and…
    because I loved that crop of barley and couldn’t stand to see it spoiled, I was prepared to try. I took a deep
    breath and a first step and both eventually led me to the knowledge that I was capable of things bigger
    than I’d imagined. I think every child, every person, should have an experience like the field experiment,
    something that thrusts them down a road they don’t think they can ever reach the end of – for love of
    themselves and other people and the world. When they eventually come to their destination, they will
    realise that even the impossible can be accomplished if you’re willing to take the first step and give it
    everything you’ve got. And then, like me, they will know they can do anything.’
    (Diana Beresford-Kroeger)

    Dr. Phil Brennan and Elaine are adding new Camino experiences to our existing range of offerings from March 2022. We are looking forward leading groups from the States, Norway, Britain and Ireland on our signature ‘Celtic Camino in the steps of St Declan’ in association with Cahir House Hotel and Mount Melleray Abbey along with our ‘Celtic Camino in Ireland’s South East’ in association with The Tower Hotel, Waterford. We will also be teaming up with Original Irish Hotels to roll out unique Camino experiences to include Glendalough, St. Mullins, Ardmore, Gougane Barra and Dingle. You can contact Phil and Elaine directly on info@waterfordcamino.com

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    Silent Night – the magic of Christmas

    Christmas time has its own magical allure. The lights, the gifts, the music, the myriad of sporting spectacles beamed live to our sitting rooms, the gatherings among family and friends, the scent of the turkey roasting in the oven, the frenzied shopping, the carnival atmosphere in town; all combine to create something wonderfully festive that eases us almost unknowingly through the dreariness of the Irish winter. Now, as the year rolls to a close, a faint glow makes its presence felt. The star still shines, oft’ hidden and unnoticed, to light the way.

    ‘Silent Night’ carries us back to where it all began. The poignant lilt of harmonies along with unadorned lyrics draw us deeper into the wonder of the Christmas story. This age-old carol has the power to stop us in our tracks. I’ve seen an elderly woman in a coma in a nursing home momentarily re-awaken and join us in song, noticed hardened men drawn to a space they thought they had left behind, viewed children by the crib transported on a musical odyssey back to the manger in Bethlehem, watched a homeless woman cradle the infant child while melodic notes from carol singers close by took on a meaning only she knew.

    Christmas without ‘Silent Night’ would feel incomplete. Over the past 40 years, it has been the one constant for me in the build up to Christmas. We’ve had to cancel a concert in Christ Church, Dublin this year, our visits to local nursing homes and our annual ‘Carols for our times’ in the Edmund Rice Chapel. In these strangest of times, it’s the one part of Christmas I’ll miss the most. ‘Silent Night’ is a warm balm on the coldest of Winter nights. We’ll appreciate it all the more when we do get back.

    The origin of this timeless carol is worth remembering. In 1818, a roving band of actors was performing in towns throughout the Austrian Alps. On December 23rd, they arrived at Oberndorf, a village near Salzburg, where they were to re-enact the story of Christ’s birth in the small Church of St. Nicholas. Given that the church organ was out of commission and would not be repaired before Christmas, the actors decided to present their version of the Christmas story in a private home.

    One of audience, assistant pastor Josef Mohr, was inspired to reflect anew on the meaning of Christmas. Instead of walking straight to his house that night, Mohr took a longer way home. His fateful Camino took him up over a hill overlooking the village. He stopped to survey the peaceful, snow-drenched citadel of light below. Reveling in the majestic silence of the wintry night, Mohr gazed down at the glowing Christmas card-like scene. Time past and present froze in creative fusion. He intuitively adapted a poem he had written years previously to the play he had just seen.

    Mohr enlisted the help of his friend, church organist Franz Xaver Gruber, to compose a musical setting for the poem that could sound well even without the church organ. Within hours they both sung ‘Stille Nacht’ at their Christmas Eve service before the small congregation in Oberndorf with the accompaniment of a guitar. It was beautifully understated, magical.

    Christmas 1914 on the battlefields of Messines brings us face to face with the power of this simple carol. Picture the scene. Young men and boys sunk in the blemished mud of Flemish and French trenches, ears reverberating to the terrifying sounds of shells exploding before them with a deafening defiance – scarcely imaginable to spectators from afar. Germans on one side; the French, British and Irish on the other. Between them, ‘no man’s land’ littered with the spoils of war, a sordid premonition of the fate in store for up to 13,000 soldiers a day.

    Yet, amidst the chaos, hope simmered fleetingly on the horizon. The German soldiers were sent Christmas trees from home and placed them above their trenches, numbing the oppressive doom that enveloped them. A strange confluence of dark and light rose from the shadowy mire. The luminous trail extended for miles, a seamless halo from afar that transfigured the wretched landscape. The soldiers were moved. They remembered their loved ones back home.

    They momentarily forgot where they were. And then the German tenor sang ‘Stille Nacht’. Soldiers from both sides fearlessly opted to leave the relative sanctuary of the trenches and embraced their ‘foe’ as their own. Stories were told, cigarettes smoked, brandy consumed, even a football match was played. Once hostile voices merged as one in common humanity.

    A young British soldier, Albert Moren, near La Chapelle D’Armentieres, France, recalled: “It was a beautiful moonlit night, frost on the ground, white almost everywhere; and… there was a lot of commotion in the German trenches and then there were those lights – I don’t know what they were. And then they sang ‘Stille Nacht’ – ‘Silent Night’. I shall never forget it. It was one of the highlights of my life.”

    Against the bleakest of backdrops, a spark was lit and the shroud lifted. Humanity had become participants in the nativity story 1914 years on revealing the face of the infant Jesus to the world. Their song echoes in the stillness of the night. Hidden in the silhouette, their hushed murmurings can still be heard. Echoes from afar whisper softly through veiled skies. The men of 1914 did not just remember the first Christmas; they lived out its meaning.

    I was privileged to travel to Messines in December 2014 with The Island of Ireland Peace Choir to pay homage in song to the young men of the Christmas Truce on the 100th anniversary. It was deeply humbling to see the graves of two Irishmen side by side in one of the tiny cemeteries scattered across the furrowed fields. On one headstone: 24th of December 1914, Private Delaney; on the other, 29th of December 1914, Private Murphy. In between… the Christmas Truce. Something timeless spilled out onto the battlefield that silent night that must never be forgotten. Sleep in heavenly peace.

    One person made a deep impression on all of us privileged to meet her. Marie -Therese’s home overlooks the site of the Christmas Truce and for the previous 80 plus years of her life has welcomed visitors with tea and cakes as a token of her appreciation of the journeys they had made. She knew the significance of all that had happened on this hallowed land not too many years before she was born and understood the need to remember. Marie-Therese beamed with delight when we sang ‘Danny Boy’ for her on a pathway alongside her home. Her smile touched us all. She radiated warmth of a precious kind. Their spirit lives on through her.

    At the end of our concert that evening, we chose to give our Waterford Crystal vase to Marie-Therese, and not to the local dignitaries, much to the delight of almost everyone in the audience. We could see in her beautiful simplicity, in her resilient smile, in her resolute kindness proof of the power of human goodness to triumph even in those very situations that threaten its existence. Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore. Maybe, therein lies the message of Christmas.

    Phil and Elaine would like to wish you all a peaceful and happy Christmas and everything you wish for in 2022. We look forward to leading visitors from near and far on our Camino trails in Waterford, Glendalough, St. Mullins, Gougane Barra and Dingle over the coming year. For further information, check out our website on waterfordcamino.com or email us directly at info@waterfordcamino.com

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    A voyage into the unknown.

    We humans were never meant to live our lives in the safe sanctuary of the harbour. It pays to dream big, to set your bearings on a course that is unique to you and those who sail with you. Once you abandon yourself to the tumult of the seas, you hand over the reins of your destiny to a higher force. The ocean, for all its vastness, is the very place that leads you on your deepest odyssey into the unfathomable depths of your existence. Staying true to you and what matters to you is everything in life. As the spray lashes against your face and the waves rise with terrifying intent, hang on in there. Here, beyond the safety of the shoreline, you’ll soon discover what you’re made of.

    Polar explorer Ernst Shackleton boarded the ‘Endurance’ in August 1914 and set sail for Antarctica where he planned to cross the last uncharted continent on foot. In January 1915, after battling its way through a thousand miles of pack ice and only a day’s sail short of its destination, the ‘Endurance’ drifted northwest over 10 months before it was finally crushed between two ice-floes. With no options left, Shackleton and a skeleton crew attempted a near-impossible journey over 850 miles of the South Atlantic’s heaviest seas to the closest outpost of civilisation… Their survival, and the survival of the men they left behind, depended on their small lifeboat successfully finding the island of South Georgia – a tiny dot of land in a vast and hostile ocean.

    Alfred Lansing’s book ‘Endurance’ captures the enormity of the feat and the resilience it asked of the crew. It’s a powerful story that transcends time and place to reveal how the human spirit can triumph at those very moments when the normal contours of our world disappear into oblivion. Shackleton, Crean and the rest of the crew needed to draw on reserves of courage to help them overcome; something deep, indomitable, uncrushable inside that carried them through the torrent against all the odds. What these men unearthed from within kept them alive. Broken though unbowed, each man distilled life down to the very core. Perspectives changed. The awakening dawn shed a cold, fragile light on the rawest of human instincts… their innate capacity to see beyond the enveloping mists and retrieve all they needed to help they make it home safely. I’ve chosen a few lines from the book that speak to me in the hope that they will do the same for you…

    On your darkest night…

    ‘In all the world there is no desolation more complete than the polar night. It is a return to the Ice Age – no warmth, no life, no movement. Only those who have experienced it can fully appreciate what it means to be without the sun day after day and week after week.’

    There are times in all our lives when the lights go out, when all that we once lived for seems to vanish before our eyes. We wish we could wind back the clock and restore things to their natural order. You will have moments when you feel you cannot wade through your pain, your loss, your brokenness in the face of all that the world has thrown your way. Hang in there, do what it takes to find something to live for, keep believing in you especially in those lonely hours when it’s a struggle to do so. You will find something inside. You will endure to the last. This time will pass.

    In a barren land, keep the embers of hope alight…

    ‘After five days of exhausting struggle, they were suddenly idle. Now there was almost nothing to do, except to think… Many of them, it seemed, finally grasped for the first time just how desperate things really were, more correctly, they became aware of their own inadequacy, of how utterly powerless they were… But then came the march, a journey which was to carry them nearly 200 miles. Yet after only five days and 9 small miles in a straight line to the northwest, they had stopped completely and even forced to retreat. So they sat in the camp, disillusioned and humbly aware how truly powerless they were to overcome the forces they faced, regardless of how much strength and determination they put forth. The realization was not so much humiliating as frightening.’

    ‘They were crammed together in overcrowded tents, lying in reindeer or woolen sleeping bags on bare ice… at meal times they sat in the snow… And yet, they had adjusted with surprisingly little trouble to their new life, and most of them were quite sincerely happy. The adaptability of the human creature is such that they actually had to remind themselves on occasion of their desperate circumstance.’

    If we allow ourselves to be submerged in self-pity, we will go under. It can be scary to be robbed of what makes your life worth living. We’ve got to pick ourselves back up; small, slow yet resolute steps to help re-kindle that spark again. We owe it to the people that really matter to us. Your life has a worth beyond what you might be able to see at that moment. Rest in at the isle for a while. Do not reason or analyse too much. That can come later. Simply soak in the stillness and feel the calm. When the time is right, hoist those sails again secure in the knowledge that you are not alone. The people we love the most are never too far away. You will see the signs for yourself with each new passing day.

    Kindness will carry you…

    ‘Then on January 13, a rumor spread that Shackleton was considering killing the dogs to ease the drain on the food supplies. Among the men, reactions ranged from simple resignation to outraged shock. Stormy debates on the value of the dogs against the food they consumed broke out in each tent that night. But the fundamental, underlying factor in the discussions was that, for many men, the dogs were more than so many pounds of pulling power on the trail; there was a deep emotional attachment involved. It was the basic human need to love something, the desire to express tenderness in this barren place. Though the dogs were vicious, surly beasts with one another, their devotion and loyalty toward the men was above question. And the men responded with an affection greatly surpassing anything they would have felt under ordinary circumstances.’

    When you strip life down to the core essentials, only kindness matters. The rest dissolves into the fading embers of evening light. To act with compassion isn’t always valued in a world that tends to place personal accomplishment and profile above all other considerations. Those who have stared adversity in the face are the wiser for it. They soon discover that life is best lived in solidarity with others, especially those with their own burdens to carry. Be sound, be kind… it’ll be what endures when all else sheds like auburn leaves from autumnal trees.

    Trust the universe. It will not let you down…

    ‘The scene from the deck of the Endurance was often fantastically beautiful. In clear weather, if the moon was out, it swept in bold, high circles through the starlit skies for days on end, casting a soft, pale light over the floes. At other times, there were breath-taking displays of the aurora australis, the Antarctic equivalent of northern lights. Incredible sunburst of green and blue and silver shot up from the horizon into the blue-black sky, shimmering, iridescent colours that glinted off the rock-hard ice below.’

    ‘Gradually the sea grew calmer. The sky was clear, and finally the sun rose in unforgettable brilliance through a pink mist along the horizon, which soon melted into flaming gold. It was more than just a sunrise. It seemed to flood into their souls, rekindling the life within them. They watched the growing light quenching the wild, dark misery to the night that now, at last, was over.’

    ‘Most of the men were awakened once during glorious night to stand an hour’s watch, and even this was almost pleasure. The night was calm, and the sky was clear. The moon shone on the little pebbled beach, washed by the waves, a scene of utter tranquility.’

    It pays to align our cadence to the rhythm of the universe. Nature has a way of slowing the pulse right down. Make time for those trails that draw you out beyond your normal boundaries. Woodlands, river walks, mountain tracks, headland trails all open the pores of our humanity to the intricate beauty of it all. We soon come face to face with the mystery of our existence and discover the simple yet magical truth that we are part of something far greater than ourselves. The tiniest, microscopic thread of nature reveals something of the infinite in a way our busy lives would never allow us notice. Wisdom appears, unannounced, to inspire you to see what once passed you by. Slow the pace and feel the deeper peace as if for the very first time.

    It is never too late to start living. The odyssey you are destined for will not be handed to you. You have to play your part. Dare to push the boat out. You’ll be glad you did!

    Photo of the ‘Endurance’ courtesy of BBC Archive.

    Rest of the photos taken in Glendalough, November 2021.

    Dr Phil and Elaine are looking forward to leading groups from the States, Norway, Britain and Ireland on our signature ‘Celtic Camino – in the steps of St Declan’ in association with Cahir House Hotel and Mount Melleray Abbey along with our ‘Celtic Camino in Ireland’s South East’ in association with The Tower Hotel, Waterford.

    We will also be teaming up with Original Irish Hotels to roll out unique Camino experiences to include Glendalough, St. Mullins, Ardmore, Gougane Barra and Dingle.

    You can contact Phil and Elaine directly on info@waterfordcamino.com. We’ll be updating our website www.waterfordcamino.com over the next few weeks to reflect these new offerings.

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    The Camino of life

    ‘Path-walker, your footprints and nothing else are the Camino; Path-walker, there is no path, the Camino is formed as you move.’
    (Antonio Machado)

    We create our own path in life. Others can guide us on our way, but, ultimately you and you alone can shape the course of what is yet to come. The compass to your future lies within. It takes courage to stay true to your course. Dare to believe in you especially in those hours when you’re tested most. There’s a spark inside that will not let you down. Honour it lest the moment pass you by. Take that first step. Your footprints will steer you on your way.

    Align your path in life with all that matters to you. Invest your energies wisely. We get one shot at it, we may as well get it right. Do not force the pace. Take a moment to soak in the panoramic beauty that opens up before you. No matter what each new day brings, always seek out your own oasis of calm. The outdoors have a magic all of their own. Almost unknowingly, the universe will step in and nudge you in the right direction. That walk by the river’s edge, that stroll along the headland, that road few have travelled… unearth something in us we may not otherwise have known. We are creatures of depth, so too our world. Stardust floating through the vastness of time has found its way to you. It takes just one spark to light the way.

    Autumnal shades add a poignant beauty to our trails at this time of the year as light ebbs slowly into distant skies. I often think of those who have shaped the person I have become. We all have people we wish were still with us. The simplest of things stir their memory. We sense them near though far. Nothing can fill the aching void of absence. We hear them speak through the silence as falling leaves swirl in gracious homage to the mystery of it all. We rise again as a crimson glow seeps into our bones. There’s a life to be lived. The way feels warmer now.

    Everyone walks to their own rhythm in life. The Camino is no different. We are one but we’re not the same. It’s the steps in between that matter most as we make our way. The destination… that can come later. Kindness is what carries us when our own spirits begin to wane. I’d always notice those who slow their own pace so as to make time for someone else. The beauty of this gesture lies in its simplicity; a quiet word of encouragement, an attentive ear, a willingness to pause and take a breather. Unheralded acts of human kindness have a power beyond what the eye can see. The road does not seem as long anymore!

    There are times in life when you face into a storm you never saw coming. Out of nowhere, a deluge descends leaving you exposed to the ravages of the elements. It can we a scary place to be. Even on good days, when we feel the sun on our back, we can lose our bearings; we make mistakes, we overrule our better judgement, we invest our energy in people who are nowhere to be seen when we need them most. We become participants in a drama that somehow leaves us doubting ourselves.

    It’s then you’ve got to find courage from somewhere. Turning back on all you’ve lived for is not an option. Keep believing in you, in life, in whatever it takes to help you drive on. You have a value beyond what the world can reach. No less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here. Step back from those who ridicule your demise. Bitterness weakens and consumes. Instead, gravitate towards the people who see your worth. This time will pass.

    There’s a depth to us all we should never under-estimate. Something ‘kicks in’ to help us overcome. Our Celtic Camino along St Declan’s Way is a test of stamina. 25km every day for 5 days in succession pushes you to the limits of your endurance. I’ve seen a woman in her mid-70’s haul her way over the Knockmealdowns and draw on every fibre of her being to make it into Mount Melleray. Stoic courage of this kind inspires at the deepest of levels. Pilgrim paths of old call us beyond ourselves into the vast unknown. It’s good to test ourselves against the elements every once in a while. Here on the periphery, we come face to face with the truth about ourselves and our place in the world. Wisdom of this kind lingers long into the night.

    Your life is not mapped out for you in advance. Reach out for your destiny but with a light hold on the reins. Allow space for the universe to intervene. We cannot do it on our own. We are stronger when we are part of something greater than ourselves. Places of solitude and quiet connect us to source. We were never meant to heave from one target to the next at the speed of light. We need space to just breathe, to come to the well, to tune into the deeper melodic strains that make life worth living. We soon discover each note matters, we matter. Stillness calls us beyond ourselves in search of something deeper. Peace descends in the telepathic flights of the starlings as they make their way home.

    We are all custodians of something timeless in our midst. Our ancestors have left an indelible mark on the universe that we need to value now more than ever. It is good to seek out those sacred spaces that have been passed on to us by those who have walked this way before. Pilgrim places draw us deeper into the soul of our people. Our Celtic past has shaped who we have become. A visit to the dimmed enchantment of an old monastic ruins on a hill in Ardmore has the power to draw us deeper into the vast expanse of mystery that surrounds us. Now is the time to distil all that we have inherited and re-claim the treasure that lies within its ruins… not just for ourselves but for those who have yet to pass this way.

    If we’ve learned anything from the last year, it’s that friendships matter. It’s lovely to unwind as each day moves to a close. Good company, tasty food, the bit of craic, a song or two… puts the seal on all that has gone before. True companions are everything on the Camino of life. It’s then the pieces come together and the way becomes clear.

    ‘Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well-worn path and that will make all the difference.’
    (Steve Jobs)

    Dr. Phil and Elaine Brennan are looking forward to leading groups from the States, Norway, Britain and Ireland in 2022 on our signature ‘Celtic Camino – in the steps of St Declan’ in association with Cahir House Hotel and Mount Melleray Abbey along with our ‘Celtic Camino in Ireland’s South East’ in association with The Tower Hotel, Waterford. We will also be teaming up with Original Irish Hotels to roll out unique Camino experiences to include Glendalough, St. Mullins, Ardmore, Gougane Barra and Dingle. You can contact Phil and Elaine directly on info@waterfordcamino.com We’ll be updating our website www.waterfordcamino.com over the next few weeks to reflect these new offerings.

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    Steps along the Irish Camino – from Wales with love

    Celtic Blessing
    May you learn to be yourself
    To be happy in your skin
    To know where you are going
    And learn from where you’ve been.
    May your guide show you the true path
    May your feet find solid ground
    May your journey be eventful
    And your way home be finally found.
    (Iain Tweedale)

    After several false starts due to Covid restrictions I finally managed to make my way over to Ireland to join in Phil and Elaine’s first St Declan’s Way in August. This was closely followed with us bringing over a Journeying group from the UK in September for our Irish Camino.

    Both were wonderful and varied Camino experiences and the people we walked with, talked with and shared meals with demonstrated what I love so much about Ireland: the warm welcome and, of course, the craic!

    St Declan’s Way follows in footsteps of the saint as he travelled back to his home in Ardmore after a meeting with St Patrick in Cashel. Twenty five kilometres a day for five straight days led to a stiff knee and a few blisters on the feet, but much more important was the amazing sense of achievement as we reached the sea on Ardmore beach at the journey’s end. Walking on pilgrimage together is like no other experience I know. Leave all the arrangements to Phil, Br Phil and Elaine and just walk, surrounded by nature, your internal thoughts and the company of new friends who encourage and entertain you as you plod along.

    The Irish Camino in partnership with Journeying was a very different but no less wonderful experience, with us driving to different locations across Ireland’s Ancient East from our base in Waterford. From the Mahon Falls in the Comeragh Mountains, Ardmore and Dunmore East, through to St Mullins, Ferns and Lismore, we saw so many places and met so many amazing and hospitable people who opened their hearts and homes to us.

    Two places really stood out for me: the first was the Japanese Gardens in Tramore where members of the Island of Ireland Peace Choir played for us. The second was the 6th Century monastic settlement of Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains where Fr Michael Rodgers gave us a beautiful mystical guided tour.

    I enjoyed these trips so much that we’ve already got a plan to do both again next year and if you’re considering coming with us, here are some of the comments that this year’s pilgrims sent us, to entice you a little further:

    We had a really wonderful week and experienced so much thanks to you, Phil and Elaine. . . I’m really glad Journeying is adding Ireland again to the programmes and the creative connection with Waterford Camino is great. I continue to recommend it all highly to friends! Yvonne, England.

    What an amazing week. Thank you for introducing me to your beautiful area around Waterford, to many lovely people but mostly for sharing your love, your story and your soul. It would be impossible to pick a highlight – beautiful mountains and coastlines, your mum, Elaine, reflections and blessings but for me it was music that lifted the week to another level. The joy of the cloisters and especially David piping with you, Phil, in the Japanese Garden will never be forgotten. You have provided wonderful memories and a springboard for a future lived in the ‘present’. Father Michael’s words ‘death is our destiny but we are called to live’ makes living each day a completely different and more sacred experience. Liz, England.

    Thanks for organising such a wonderful coming together of Journeying and Waterford Camino. All the best as you work to bring the Celtic roots connections together. Isobel, Scotland.

    The reflections were lovely, the places we went to spectacular, and then to bring to another level the music. I have met some very special people on this journey and the laughs we had at the dinner table most evenings was something else. Maria, Dublin.

    Thank you Phil and Elaine for doing such a wonderful job in leading us along St. Declan’s Way. I really enjoyed every minute of my time spent with you all. Very well organised and we had no stress or anything to worry about. Accommodation, food and everything else was fantastic. Thanks also to Br Phil and lain for taking care of us. Thanks for a memorable week everyone and hope we can go on another walk in the near future. Pauline, Celbridge

    It was a lovely week so well organised and I can imagine the organisation involved but like you said we all survived to tell a great story. So glad I did it thank you all again. Martina, Dublin.

    Sincere thanks for a wonderful memorable week which I am only beginning to process at so many different levels. Your hard work and preparation paid off. Thanks to our fellow walkers who helped me along the way. A very special time. Lucy, Celbridge.

    It was indeed a memorable week, the experience of a lifetime. Thanks to everyone who helped to make it so special. I will treasure it always. Anne, Celbridge

    What a week, what a week, what a week, it was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. All your efforts paid off, it was exceptional. You got eighteen people across the line in Ardmore after 125km of walking from Cashel, all in one piece, that was such an achievement. I don’t need to mention anyone in particular, but all the people we met along the way were just fabulous personalities and so friendly, helpful and accommodating. The food and accommodation were excellent. Now I know that all of that was arranged by you Phil and Elaine. What a team you are. All your hard work paid off. May all your dreams come true. Mary, Drogheda.

    And I’ll finish with a new Celtic Blessing, which came to me after the trip to Glendalough:

    May the silence of the lough
    speak to you
    And the boughs of the tress
    shelter you
    May the prayers of the saints
    enfold you
    And the safety of the saints
    protect you
    With the silence of the lough

    Special thanks to Iain Tweedale, Wales, for writing this month’s blog and to all who shared their reviews of their time with us. We welcome Iain too as team leader with Waterford Camino Tours and look forward to sharing the path with him in the years to come. Elaine and myself know that the Camino is only as good as the people we get to share it with. The last few months have been immense and we look forward to rolling out St. Declan’s Way and our Irish Camino Experience in association with Journeying going into 2022.

    For further details, check out www.waterfordcamino.com or contact Phil and Elaine directly on info@waterfordcamino.com