I cannot nor do I want to sing for the crucified Jesus—but for the one who walked on the sea.
No puedo cantar ni quiero a este Jesús del madero sino al que anduvo en la mar.
La Saeta, Joan Manuel Serrat

Easter is, arguably, the most important date on the Christian calendar.

Following the suffering and death of the Passion, Easter Sunday draws us to life, movement, and hope. It shifts our focus away from the image of the Good Friday crucifixion toward the resurrected, living, and active presence of Jesus. In Easter, we encounter renewal, possibility, and the promise of life beyond the Passion.

Our Easter journey to the Semana Santa in Spain is all about life, movement, hope, living, renewal, possibility, and life beyond the suffering.

Here are a few snapshots. From the journey, the workouts, and the pure joy of tastes, sensations, smells, and textures.

Journey

We stay in nice places, right beside the sea. A few days in Santander. A few days in San Sebastián.

We go for walks. Along the sea. Through incredible tunnels. Crowded streets. In sunshine. In rain. Steep hills. Up and down.

Workout

Years ago, we found a very good Neuro Rehab practice owned by two brilliant physios/OTs who do pretty tough workouts with Pádraig which he very much enjoys. They have been to An Saol in Dublin for a few days two years ago and have inspired some of our work. For example, the Swedish ladder in An Saol, or the rack, were both ideas we picked up in Torrelavega from Marcos and Laura.

This year, they said they’d walk with Pádraig and started laughing when they saw the reaction in my face.

On the last day, they kept their promise. What I thought would be a few steps in the therapy room, ended up in a walk down the corridor.

They are so creative and always look for possibilities where others might see limitations.

Joy

Squid, pulpo. Fish soup. Fried anchovies. Black rice, arroz negro. Torrijas, bread soaked in milk, dipped in egg, fried, and then coated with sugar, cinnamon, or honey – a typical sweet Easter treat. Coffee in a bar where you get 50c change when you pay with a 2 euro coin. Spain always brings us the joy of so many different tastes, textures, smells, and sensations.

The highlight, on our last day, is lunch in a fancy restaurant in San Sebastián. Not only do we get our very own extra large wooden table, we get our own dining space, almost our separate room, but well-connected to the main restaurant.

We never met the chef, but he must be a genius. And he must have many helpers because no one person could create such a feast by himself. This occasion is something to look forward to once a year. We go for the surprisingly affordable tasting menu which they offer for what you would pay for dinner in a pretty average Dublin restaurant.

When I spent my first year in Spain, many moons ago, I became a bit of a fan of Antonio Machado and Joan Manuel Serrat who put some of Machado’s poems to music.

One poem, central part of one of Serrat’s songs, Cantares, especially, has acquired a new meaning since Pádraig’s accident.

Caminante, son tus huellas 
el camino y nada más; 
caminante, no hay camino, 
se hace camino al andar. 

Al andar se hace camino 
y al volver la vista atrás 
se ve la senda que nunca 
se ha de volver a pisar. 

Caminante no hay camino 
sino estelas en la mar. 

Antonio Machado: «Poema XXIX», en Proverbios y Cantares

In English, it means something like this:

Wayfarer, your footsteps
are the path, and nothing more;
wayfarer, there is no path—
the path is made by walking.

By walking, you make the path,
and when you turn to look behind,
you see the trail that never
will be walked again.

Wayfarer, there is no path,
only traces upon the sea.

We’ll keep walking. Travelling. Working out. Enjoying as many new experiences and tastes as possible.

You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.
Christopher Columbus

Have you ever been out of your depth? Thrown into the deep end? Felt scared, frightened, terrified? With absolutely no control over what was happening? Powerless and totally dependent on others?

I was. Completely helpless and terrifyingly vulnerable. And so was Pádraig.

Everybody faced with a devastating brain injury will almost certainly have had the same experience.

Our only point of reference were the professionals. The neurosurgeons. The ICU nurses. The rehabilitation specialists. They were to lead us out of this horrific situation we found ourselves in when our lives changed beyond recognition. Within a split second. Without preparation.

We lost sight of the shore and started navigating uncharted waters in search of land.

Experienced sailors say that being at sea is one of the most genuine and uncompromising environments one can experience. It poses a direct challenge to the very core of our being. If the sails are set wrong or if the equipment needed is not ready, the sea exposes these shortcomings without mercy. They say that the sea rigorously tests one’s determination, bravery, and character.

This weekend, we are on our annual 32-hour sea trip from Rosslare to Bilbao. When facing the depth of the Bay of Biscay with its mountain-high waves, we are going to be safe. We trust the captain, the crew, and their equipment.

Those who face the consequences of a severe brain injury need to know that they can trust the health system. That that system will never write them off or leave them behind. That the equipment is ready, the crew is there, and the sails are set in the right way. That all are ready to provide support and guidance through the storm, the mountain-high waves.

This is what Pádraig inspires us to do. Every second of the day. At home and at the An Saol Foundation. He is constantly testing our courage, our determination, bravery, and character.

He has all the confidence in the world in us: that we will, all of us together, cross that ocean because we have the courage, the determination, the bravery, and the character to lose sight of the shore.

What a privilege that is.

The public sphere can be conceived above all as a sphere of private people come together as a public.
Jürgen Habermas, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere, 1962

There is a reason for and a purpose in people doing so.

Jürgen Habermas was one of Germany’s most prominent philosophers, probably best known for describing, for the first time, what had become the public sphere in the 1960s and its role in society and in democracy. He died on 14 March 2026.

When I left school one of my ideas was to study philosophy, learning more about the Frankfurt School: Adorno, Horkheimer, Marcuse, Benjamin, Fromm – and Habermas. That never happened but, nevertheless, they were always a part of my life. His death touched me.

Habermas’ thinking is as important and contemporary as ever.

For example: scandals exist and there are always some people who are aware of them. Take young people in nursing homes. Think babies being buried in sewage tanks. Look at the unimaginable wealth and inherent power of some.

These scandals will only become real public scandals when the public becomes scandalised, when these scandals enter the public sphere. This is why Jürgen Habermas argued that a healthy democracy needed a public sphere—a space where citizens are informed and can openly discuss issues. Where they have access to information, free media, and public debate.

Habermas’ “public sphere” allows us to monitor, influence, or even control the systems that affect us. It allows us to bring our needs, rights, and lived experiences to the public, where they can influence policy, healthcare planning, and societal attitudes. We can create spaces—through advocacy, education, and engagement—where we can engage with the wider public in informed dialogue, challenge gaps in services, and push, for example, for more equitable, person-centred care. Where we look after those left behind for far too long. Those who would rather live – with their profound injuries.

We can shape political decisions by informed, critical discussion rather than by private interests, manipulation, or authority alone.

In theory.

In practice, as the recent 2026 Oxfam Report, Resisting the Rule of the Rich, has shown: just 12 billionaires own more wealth than the poorest 50% of humanity. Most of the very richest are US-based. They control over half of major media outlets and dominate major social media platforms. Ireland’s 11 billionaires are wealthier than nearly 90% of the Irish adult population together.

US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said over 100 years ago: “We must make our choice. Either we can have extreme wealth in the hands of the few, or we can have democracy. We cannot have both.”

He had a point.

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In other news –

We went out yesterday and were stunned by the beauty of nature. Springtime has truly arrived.

However, there was a moment when we urgently had to call someone – but weren’t sure of who that had to be.

If a wheel fell off from your car, you’d ring the AA or your garage. There would be a tow truck coming in no time and your mechanic would take care of it.

But what if the same happened with your wheelchair?

There is no Wheelchair AA – nobody you can call for immediate help. The last time Pádraig’s wheelchair broke, he was told by his Community Occupational Therapist that he would have to stay in bed until a replacement chair had been sourced – which could (and did) take a couple of months. In the end, ironically, it was our car mechanic who fixed the problem. It took him a few minutes and the chair was back in action. (Clinically, that was not the correct solution and unsafe, we were told.)

This time, the breakdown wasn’t as dramatic and I managed to fix the problem myself. – Though I was thanking our stars that this had not happened on a walk in the woods or on they way onto a ferry or a plane.

It makes you wonder, why cars get fixed almost immediately, and why fixing wheelchairs takes months.

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Last week’s St Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin was spectacular. It was sunny, the floats were outstanding, and the atmosphere was electric. We watched it all on the TV after we had returned from our St Patrick’s Day trip to lovely Leitrim, to Cloone to be exact. There, we had supported the first ever parade. Imagine what a great day that was for the village.

There was an ice cream van, lots of old “vintage” cars and tractors. Several trucks from the local hauling business. Members of the local pony club. And some agricultural floats, protesting against the Mercosur deal.

It was raining. It was windy. It was cold.

It was a fantastic day we will never forget.

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As Habermas said: The public sphere can be conceived above all as a sphere of private people come together as a public.

And it serves so many different purposes.

There can be debate. Reflection. Campaigning. Support. Beauty. And tons of fun.

We need a little of each. All coming together in community.

First say to yourself what would you be; and then do what you have to do.
Epictetus

You must have asked yourself at times: What if…?

As all other parents in An Saol, I have asked this question myself a thousand times: What if I cannot look after Pádraig anymore? What if something happened to me? Over the years, it became clearer that the question might not even be “what if?” but “what when? When I’ll find it hard to walk myself? When I won’t be able to lift myself up out of a chair?

Epictetus got it right, 2 1/2 thousand years ago. As a slave and being impaired with a lame leg, he became known for his Stoic endurance. Had he just drifted through life he would have died soon. Instead, he went for discipline and consistency, with clear aims for his life in mind.

Statistics suggest that Pádraig one day will, most likely, have to live his life without me. Rather than just waiting for that day to come, we need to prepare for it. This is why I am trying hard to make Teach An Saol a reality. For us and for others in a similar situation.

I still believe that our health and our political system will recognise how important Teach An Saol is for so many people. That they will act and take up our offer to set it up.

In the meantime, another way for us to prepare for that day is, occasionally, to get away for a short time. To remove ourselves from the equation.

That’s what we did this weekend.

Pádraig is at home, without us but well looked after by his family. While we are in the Vaterland checking out places we usually would not go to. So far, it worked out well for all.

We know that Pádraig has all the support he needs at home, even without us, for the weekend. A weekend that is a big exception for him and for us. We are all lucky to have each other and be able to rely on each other. We don’t take it as a given and we know that not every family is in this fortunate position. Which is why Teach An Saol and the proposed Respite Hub are so badly and so urgently needed.

Life without Pádraig is unimaginable. When we eat. When we drive. When we go for a walk. Even when we talk. He is present.

Which doesn’t come as a surprise. Because, usually, he is with us all the time. He is so much part of our life that it is unimaginable without him.

His life is meaningful & fulfilled. Without him, An Saol would not exist. Our lives and, especially that of other people affected by a severe brain injury, would be so much bleaker.

Pádraig shares his strength, hope, and humanity. And I need to make sure he can continue doing this. The day I can’t, others will be ready.

It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours.
Diogenes of Sinope

You might have heard the story of Diogenes of Sinope. The famous philosopher from the 4th century B.C. walked through Athens in broad daylight carrying a lantern. When people asked what he was doing, he replied: “I am looking for an honest man.”

I was reminded of this story when I listened (not read:) to the first chapters of a book by Manfred Lütz, the former Director of the Mental Hospital of Cologne, called “Crazy – we’re treating the wrong people!”, or: Irre – wir behandeln die Falschen. He explains and questions our understanding of what it is to be crazy and what it is to be normal. He talks about the insanely normal ones, and the normal insane ones. The normopathen normopaths – not sure whether I got this translation right.

It’s fascinating. And amusing. I had a good laugh.

Last week, I believe, I met some honest people.

There was a man from an Approved Housing Body (AHB), a charity that has built thousands of homes for those who cannot pay market rents. While the HSE is happily planning to take over land from us earmarked for phase 2 of our Teach An Saol project which is all about housing – they are, at the same time, saying very clearly that they are not in the business of building housing and that they have no plans for phase 2; this man said it was a no-brainer for his AHB to build housing on this piece of land. Accessible and supported housing.

Then, Dublin’s Lord Mayor came to visit. He spent almost all of his time with us talking to our clients and to our staff, trying to understand what our work is all about. The slightly cynical view of this could be that he might have known that Pádraig lives in his constituency and is an ardent voter. But I also felt some genuine interest and concern that those who have been left behind for far too long should get the support they so urgently need. Finally. And that he was going to do whatever is in his powers to make that happen.

Diogenes wasn’t ashamed or fearful to annoy or to say things that caused consternation. In fact, he saw it as his duty to make people aware of the wrongs in the world, and their own wrongs. Another one of his famous sayings is: “In a rich man’s house there is no place to spit but his face.”

These days, we don’t spit anymore. Not on the street or in bars. Less into peoples faces.

But there are occasions when we should put political correctness aside for a moment and say things the way they are.

To be honest.

It’s our duty. We owe that to our sons and daughters, and to society.

The words you’ve bandied are sufficient;
’Tis deeds that I prefer to see:
In compliments you’re both proficient,
But might, the while, more useful be.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust, Prelude

Big projects are taking far too long to deliver, said Simon Harris when asked about the delivery of important healthcare projects,, such as Teach An Saol. We have to cut through the red tape.

The words you’ve bandied are sufficient;
’Tis deeds that I prefer to see:

Simon Harris might but, most likely, did not have Goethe’s Faust in mind when he stated in his own words what Germany’s most famous writer and poet had written about 200 years ago.

When asked by Deputy Paul McAuliffe in the Irish Parliament about the delivery of projects in the context of the National Development Plan, among them the An Saol Foundation’s Teach An Saol project for Life and Living with a severe Acquired Brain Injury (sABI), the Tánaiste stated that “Big projects are taking far too long to deliver” because of excessive bureaucracy.

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During the week, I became a certified TWC Professional, having attended a course in the Wayfinding Centre in Glasnevin, apparently the only centre in the world, where you can practice how to use public transport.

The Centre is outstanding. Not only do they have buses, a taxi, a tram, and even an aeroplane on site. They also have a huge board allowing visitors to tell everybody about their problems when using public transport, their proposed solutions, and their wishes for the future.

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Pádraig and I continue to attend the National Hyperbaric Centre, ideally twice a week. Last week, he managed to hold his head up high with his mask without any support, including the headband. It might sound like a small thing, but it is massive. His head control is improving all the time. So is his alertness and ability to participate in physical exercise, conversations, and social contacts.

Inclusion, participation, integration – all need adequate space to facilitate them. It’s more than a ramp that is needed.

And it is time to stop the talking and the shoulder clapping.

It’s time to act. To cut through the red tape.

It always seems impossible until it’s done.
Nelson Mandela

I nearly missed that ring on the door, early yesterday morning.

When I went up to open it, there was a nice man with a big bunch of flowers smiling at me and asking: “Pádraig?”

“Unfortunately, not”, I answered.

All the way from Cork, Pádraig received flowers accompanied by a very nice card with Valentine’s Day wishes.

He was delighted.

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The lyrics are, as always, full of reflection and the importance of human connection.

f I could have my time again
I’d try not to forget how to swim
Make my way to the ocean deep
My own company I’d keep
I wouldn’t know what day it was
Or if it was raining
But that’s OK because
It’s all a changing

(My Bones a Scaffold, Pilgrims)

The concert, in one of the most intimate settings, was one of the best, most relaxed ones we’ve ever been to. Navan is not a hotspot for gigs, and in Dublin the event would have been sold out immediately in a venue four times the size of the Solstice Arts Centre. Last night, the place was half empty but full of warmth, love, and intimacy. Paul and Brian sang a mixture of new songs and the old reliable Bell X1 ones. It was just stunning.

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More than 2 years ago, I wrote “Will Taoiseach Simon Harris announce Teach An Saol in 2024” on teachansaol.ie.

Last week, on 12 February 2026, Simon Harris, now Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, put it on the record of the Dáil, the Irish Parliament, that he will visit the An Saol Foundation. He said that he “feels very passionate” about the Teach An Saol project. “This is a chance to transform lives”, he stated and added: “I am committed to working with you to get it over the line.”

He also said that we have to cut through the red tape and the bureaucracy, the gates, the stages, and the bottlenecks, lalalalalala….. Because big projects, like Teach An Saol, are taking far too long

Thank you to Councillor Gayle Ralph, Senators Anne Rabbitte, Mary Fitzpatrick and Aubrey McCarthy, Deputies Paul McAuliffe, Cian O’Callaghan, Marie Sherlock, and Dessie Ellis who all have expressed their support and asked the Government and the HSE about their commitment to the Teach An Saol project over the past years.

It always seems impossible until it’s done.

Just kicking down the cobblestones
Simon and Garfunkel

Simon and Garfunkel’s concert in Central Park is one of those that made history. Hundreds of thousands of people saw it. So it’s not a miracle that even I know someone who did.

One of my favourite songs from it is New York, Another one is Feelin’ Groovy.

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It was a week of feelin’ groovy. When you could forget about all the bad stuff, all the bad people, all the madness.

Starting off with a small but brilliant concert by one of Pädraig’s friend, perhaps the only full-time artist amongst them. With a friend she has formed the group Big Cosmic Telephone. They played in a cool venue, Ardgillan Castle, just north of Dublin. It was an absolutely beautiful morning of music in a gorgeous venue. Not many music groups can say of themselves that they ever played in a real castle.

We got the morning last, just kicking down the cobblestones. Looking for fun and felt groovy.

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A few days later, we went to the Barn of Music in Rathcoole, County Wicklow, a recording venue run by Kevin. Like Swiss clockwork, very solid, warm, and homely. Kevin turned out to be a Swiss native.

Pádraig went there to work on film music with some of his friends.

Epic. So relaxed. Inspiring. Interesting. Fun. Friendly.

We got no serious deeds to do, no promises to keep. We made another morning last beautifully.

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Then on Friday morning, we heard people on RTÉ talking about the 50th anniversary celebrations of Hotpress Magazine that night in the 3Arena – which should have been renamed The Point for the night.

I still don’t know how we managed to get tickets that morning. But we did!

As Hotpress say:

While trends and fads come and go, the communal pull of great music and genuine creativity have always transcended genre and generation – something that Hot Press not only recognised early on, but has continued to champion for the guts of 50 remarkable years.

It was a lineup like no other. The video below just shows a few of the incredibly talented contributors to this historic night: CLANNAD, GAVIN JAMES, VAN MORRISON, CRANBERRIES & DERMOT, and the BOOMTOWN RATS.

Perhaps the most memorable contributors of the night were those who were not there in person but in spirit. Among them, of course: Phil Lynott, Rory Gallagher, Sinéad O’Connor, Shane MacGowan. But above all: Dolores O’Riordan. Especially when the Cranberries performed her songs.

Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken?

If you look closely, you can see Adam Clayton of U2 on the bass guitar supporting Bob playing The boys are back in town.

What a night.

Not Pádraig’s first in the Point, but, with a 1 am closing, most certainly his latest.

What a groovy week. Hip. Far out. Mind-blowing. Outta sight. Right on.

Got no deeds to do, no promises to keep
I’m dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morningtime drop all its petals on me
Life, I love you, all is groovy

Ba da-da da-da da-da, feeling groovy.

Well my mama told me, there’ll be days like this
Van Morisson

When it’s not always raining, when there’s no one complaining. Everything falls into place like the flick of a switch.

It didn’t rain one day. There were blue skies. There was no one complaining about a thing. The world was near-perfect. We had ordered the new wheelchair, went to the workshop a few times until it was ready – everything fell into place like the flick of a switch.

When you don’t need to worry, when no one’s in a hurry, when you don’t get betrayed by that old Judas kiss.

Of course we had worried about the long journey in plain winter time. About whether the wheelchair was going to be right. There was no need for it. – The only time I felt betrayed was when dealing with people who had very different ideas, following their very own agenda, blinkers on, and didn’t seem to be prepared to listen, think of the desperate needs of others. I still felt that old kiss.

When you don’t need an answer, when you don’t meet a chancer, when all the parts of the puzzle start to look like they fit.

Miraculously, the new wheelchair fitted into the back of the car. All parts of the puzzle fitted. – The week also confirmed for me that the world is still full of chancers. Unhelpful ones, indeed, and very counter-productive, even destructive, ones.

When everyone is up front and they’re not playing tricks, when you don’t have no freeloaders out to get their kicks, when it’s nobody’s business the way that you want to live.

A lot of people are, of course, not upfront. No pleasant surprises there.

When no one steps on my dreams, when people understand what I mean, when you ring out the changes of how everything is.

People continuously not just step, they trample on your dreams and certainly don’t make an effort to understand what you meant. They actually are often out to destroy them. To a point where you can’t find sleep at night. Then Van reminded me, that better days were on the way.

Oh my mama told me there’ll be days like this.

There will be days like this. One day. When we will ring out the changes. When we will not have to worry about those who just don’t seem to get it. Or, perhaps, simply do not care enough to even try.

Happy St Bríd’s Day! Happy start of the Celtic spring!