A number of nurses told us over the past weeks that in their many years of work, some of them have been doing this job for over 20 year, have never experienced the level of visitors and care from family and friends as they have seen it in Pádraig’s case. The incredible part of that is that they only know half of it. Even more incredible is that there is so much more on its way: some we know about, other things we don’t know about yet and would not even expect. There is a spirit of love all around Pádraig that has carried him across the abyss and that is keeping him going.
Just realised that Pádraig is now residing in No. 10 (the room number) – the irony will not be lost on anyone who knows about Pádraig’s love for the Irish language and culture. Maybe there is some magic going on here, some kind of a power deal?
He was well today, and while there are no dramatic signs of the effect of the drugs (!), we believe that he seems to be a little bit more awake. His eye is open for longer, even when we go out onto the roof garden, and he seems to be slightly more alert than he was before. We heard the same from one of his nurses today, though I think it’s still early days.
Tonight, we received the following email from Eoin Gaffney of the Leinster Open Sea Committee – a really moving example of what I meant when I said that the nurses really have seen not even half of what is going on, how Pádraig has been moving people:
Good Evening All at Caring for Padraig
We got the sea swim off yesterday and we had about 85 swimmers or so.
Because the Ladies’ harbour was on today the number of ladies was down however many people who did not swim have made a contribution
I do not know exactly at this stage how much we made but hopefully we will have a final tally later on in the week.
I would greatly appreciate if you could send me on a JPEG (picture of Padraig) that we could post on our facebook page.
Many people have heard Padraig’s story and were trying to place him.
I hope everything is going well for you and again if there is anything we can do we would be delighted to help.
Mary Drumm copied in on this email must be mentioned as she was very much a big supporter of this cause.
Kind Regards
Eoin Gaffney
On Behalf of the Open Sea Committee
Thank you Eoin, thank you Mary, thank you all of you who were on Killiney Beach yesterday! How much we would have like to be there with you!
PS: Please keep voting for Hospi-tales! http://www.blogawardsireland.com/best-blog-post-2014/
Hospi-Tales 
Hi Reinhard,
Hoping you are keeping well. I tapped into your wonderful blog again recently – I have been on the road a lot and haven’t been kept up to date with Pádraig’s progress except by people like Jen and Maitiú who I have bumped into over the summer.
I am looking for your address again to send a copy of a radio play version of my novella that Rossa (my brother) produced. I think Pádraig will enjoy listening to it. It is very Dublin!
By the way we are due to play in northern Germany in January – would it be too much to expect Pádraig to be well enough to travel then? Is it worth whispering it to him and getting him to set it as a target?
Coinnigh an tine lasta! (Keep it lit!0
Le mór-mheas
Colm
Hi Colm,
great to hear from you and great to hear that you’ve been kept busy inspiring people with your music! – The address is: Forbacherstr. 11, 22049 Hamburg. Pádraig will be delighted to listen to your novella, there’s no city in the world he loves more than Dublin!
There is a slight chance that Pádraig might be able to travel a bit in January, but it’s hard to say from where we are today. But we’ll tell him, and plant the idea in his head that January would be a good time to become a bit more mobile!
Whereabouts in the North of Germany will you be playing?
We will ‘keep it lit’!
Reinhard