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  • Home
  • Latest Posts
  • Route
    • Camino Francés – May 2012
    • Camino Francés – May 2013
    • Camino Francés – September 2014
    • Camino Francés – May 2015
    • Camino Finisterre – 2016
    • Camino Francés – 2017
    • Camino Portugués – May 2018
    • Camino Francés – September 2018
  • Preparation
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    • Weekend Watch
Clearskies Camino - My times on the Camino
camino de santiago, camino inglés, caminodesantiago, clearskiescamino, ireland

Medieval Irish pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela

If you are in Dublin, take a walk from the Liberties, past the Guinness Storehouse, past Thomas Street, keep walking until you see Christchurch Cathedral standing tall in front of you.


This is the Dublin Camino and the direction medieval pilgrims walked to board their ship bound for Spain. During your same walk, keep an eye out for the symbols of the Camino…arrows, shells, place names, is anything familiar?

Medieval pilgrims would walk to Dublin Docklands, gather, before taking the arduous journey to Santiago. One place in the Docklands, called Misery Hill, is what is left of a medieval hospital run by monks to assist pilgrims bound for Santiago. And this is where this Bernadette Cunningham’s book comes in.

I have only recently started to appreciate that pilgrims from Ireland made the long dangerous journey in the middle ages. So this book has opened my eyes. It probably ranks as one of the more important books on the Camino due to the amount of research and time that has been spent. I have written a review for Shamrocks and Shells and have reprinted it below.

Dr. Bernadette Cunningham (Four Court Press)

All of us who have walked any part of the Camino in Galicia will notice that there is a medieval feel to it, but some of you may have asked, have many Irish people been here in medieval times and if so, why did they go there?

Dr. Bernadette Cunningham’s “Medieval Pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela” explains that from the 12th to the 16th centuries, the promotion of the Camino de Santiago was linked with the idea of penance, repentance, and indulgences. The shrine of St. James was first promoted by Archbishop Diego Gelmírez who got papal sanction to issue indulgences to pilgrims. Santiago de Compostela became on a par with the other big Christian pilgrimage cities of Rome and Jerusalem. Pilgrims from medieval Ireland almost certainly made the pilgrimage to Santiago in jubilee years, when the feast of St James (July 25th) fell on a Sunday and special indulgences could be earned.

For a sea-going nation like Ireland, the geographical position of Santiago de Compostela was a major element of its’ attraction for pilgrims. Part of the journey from Ireland always had to be made by sea and the key to understanding how they got there is to understand the trade routes that already existed – the regular merchant ships of the day were used by pilgrims.

In the 13th century, the first ships were Anglo-Norman bringing pilgrims from the South and East of Ireland and those people would have crossed to Bristol or Plymouth and looked for a ship before heading to Spain from there. The ships used in the 13th century were those used in trading fish, hides or wine and were not very large. The main departure points were Dublin, Drogheda, New Ross, and Waterford. The book provides detailed maps showing towns scattered all over Ireland, the routes to the southern ports, and the long sea voyage that some undertook to get to Santiago, by way of the port of A Coruña.


The statue of St. James in the Church of Santiago in A Coruna. (source: https://pilgrimpace.wordpress.com/tag/santiago-peregrino/)

The first named pilgrim was Richard de Burgh from Clonmel who went to Santiago in 1320. He probably sailed first from Clonmel over to England. Once across the English Channel in France, pilgrims generally used horses for transport until arrival in Santiago. Richard de Burgh is representative of the first pilgrims to be found from Ireland – they were wealthy Anglo-Norman townsmen or bishops with strong English connections.

By the 15th century, we find evidence from other parts of Ireland, from Gaelic lordships in the North and West of Ireland, heading to Santiago. Also, by the 15th century, direct transport in bigger ships along the Bay of Biscay became the norm. For those making a direct crossing to Iberia, the port of A Coruna was normally used. In the 15th century, merchant ships travelling on this route could carry between 100 and 200 passengers.

By the 15th century, it was not unusual for elite women from Gaelic Ireland to undertake long pilgrimages. One of the best-known was the journey taken to Santiago by Margaret O Carroll in 1445. Most pilgrims returned safely, however, there were several hazards which resulted in deaths while abroad, such as, the lack of clean water and fresh food on ship and storms at sea.

A Carrack – an example of a European merchant ship from the 15th century (source: http://www.angelfire.com/ga4/guilmartin.com/chapter3.html)

In the absence of pilgrimage, the scallop shell is one of these things that will endure through almost everything. Scallop shells are turning up in archaeological excavations throughout the country and all of these are documented in this book. So, we get a snapshot of pilgrimage from Kinsale, Fermanagh, Tuam to more recently the excavations in St. Thomas’ Abbey in Dublin.

Today, the creation of the Celtic Camino from A Coruña reminds us that in middle ages, the port of A Coruña was a major point of arrival for pilgrims from Ireland and other northern European countries.

Dr. Bernadette Cunningham has produced a significant book, as it gives us a fascinating insight into how and why men and women ventured from Ireland to Santiago de Compostela in the Middle Ages. A tremendous amount of research has been undertaken on the subject and this book is a must for anyone with a keen interest in the Camino de Santiago.

Bernadette Cunningham is author of Medieval Irish Pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela (Four Courts Press, €17.95). A three-day conference on Ireland-Galicia links through the ages takes place in Santiago on May 9th-11th. See irishsettlement.ie

March 4, 2019by Clearskies Camino
camino de santiago, clearskiescamino

2015..Waving Goodbye

2015 was a fun year…not a funny year, but it was eventful.

2015 logo

This blog grew in so many ways and so did my love for the Camino de Santiago. The name of the site was changed to ClearskiesCamino.com when I realised that I had much more to offer. This, in turn, gave me the motivation to write more.

The blog was also nominated for “Best Travel Blog” at the Irish Blog Awards. I didn’t win but I didn’t expect to. The fact that I was listed as a finalist (with 9 pretty impressive websites) gave me enough reason to continue what I have been doing for the last 3-4 years. After the Awards, I had an amazing banner created for me and everything was fitting into place.

So what were the highlights and low lights of the year? What made 2015 stand out? There were a few, other than what I have mentioned above.

1) My return to the Camino Frances in 2015
This has become an annual event at this stage, but I don’t plan it to be. May saw my return to Spain (for the 5th time) when I walked from Belorado to Molinaseca, over 320km. I flew to and returned from Bilbao. The weather was ideal and I met great people. I mostly walked alone so that was different to my previous Caminos. However I did damage some ligaments behind my knee which left me unable to walk properly for a while when I returned. The gear I used remained the same and I didn’t buy much else. However, I bought a new backpack in the Christmas Sales in January, a Lowe Alpine AirZone. It was perfect. I had intended to blog while on the Camino, but after two days, I threw that promise out the window. Instead, I wrote about my times there when I returned.

2) The Lough Derg Way
In April, I visited some Camino friends in Limerick and walked part of the Lough Derg Way. It was great preparation for my upcoming Camino in May and their Camino in June. The Lough Derg Way is one of the many trails in Ireland and takes you from Limerick City to a little town called Dromineer. It is very close to the River Shannon and all in all it is 30km. There is an issue with signage with this trail and we needed to ask for directions a number of times, however, the weather was great and it was just what I was looking for before I headed off a few weeks later. I returned in August to walk another stage.

3) A Lack of Decisiveness – 2016
From the time I returned from Spain, right through the year, there has been an eagerness to return in 2016. Where and when, or if I am returning at all, I don’t know. I had dabbled with the idea of walking one of the less populated routes, the Camino Ingles or the Invierno, but I prefer company so the Camino Frances is ideal. In the end I decided to choose early September from Ponferrada to Finistere, which is over 300km. It should take 2 weeks, more or less. Another reason for my lack of decisiveness is that I have an incurable condition called “Santiago-phobia” (in jest). I haven’t walked in Galicia since 2011, preferring the meseta and La Rioja. I often wonder what the crowds will be like. I will find out soon enough.

4) I Gave A Talk About the Camino
In May, I was asked to give a talk about the Camino along with two other friends. It was due to be given in September in Limerick and I was given the task of talking about the different routes, a bit about the history, and how to get there from Ireland. When the night came, a crowd of over 60 turned up. I was nervous to say the least but once I got going, I was fine. I hope, in the future, to be asked to give future talks.

5) The Introduction of the Weekend Watch series
Back in July, I decided to introduce a series on the site called “Weekend Watch” with the aim of posting a Camino-related video each Saturday. At present, we are at Number 22. There is no shortage of Camino videos on YouTube, Dailymotion and Vimeo. There are some people who post entire vlogs from the Camino or wait until they return. Give them a watch when you get a chance.

6) Denise Thiem
This has been a very sad year in the Camino community. Denise Thiem went missing in April of this year but her body was found in September. It is important to be extra vigilant now, especially around the Santa Catalina region where she was taken.

7) The Camino Through My Eyes
I decided to introduce this series to the blog back in October and it has been a tremendous success. I have asked 4 bloggers who have walked the Camino de Santiago a series of questions with the hope of passing on valuable information to those planning. What struck me is no two answers were the same. The most popular post of the year was belonging to Maggie Woodward in October. I hope to continue this series in 2016.

8) 40,000 hits
Just before Christmas, the site hit 40,000 views. This is a massive achievement and I only have you, the reader, to thank. I go into 2016 with confidence that this blog will provide future pilgrims with essential information.

If you could share my blog with your friends and “like” my Facebook page, I would appreciate that.
Happy Christmas to you all.

December 24, 2015by Clearskies Camino
camino de santiago, preparation & planning, walk

Fitbit fanatic – guilty as charged.

Fitbit!

One of the many many “activity tracking wristbands” that measure your lifestyle from how many steps you walk in a given day; how many calories you lose to how many hours you sleep. Nike, Garmin, Jawbone and Microsoft all have products, and prices range from €50 right up to €250 depending on what features you are looking for.

simple.b-cssdisabled-png.h825b270eef65f5acc229a4cf487d8cc7I have been a Fitbit fanatic since the middle of 2014 when I bought a Fitbit Flex and I haven’t looked back. Yes, there may be other features on other brands that differ but the Flex (for me, anyway) was great for starting out. I am such a stat geek that this pulled me hook, line and sinker. I liked the thought of having a record of each of my walks stored and the tracker had a number of smartphone apps to choose from also. You can also set goals for yourself. I try to walk 50km per week. I try to use any excuse to get away from my desk in the office and watch my steps increase. However, the Flex has it’s downsides. It can come off your wrist with any amount of force and I have previously bought two replacement bands.

So, I used my upcoming birthday as an excuse to buyfitbit-charge-hr-heart-rate-and-activity-wristband-blk-large-fb405bkl-iset the Fitbit Charge, the Flex’s sturdier, more steadfast but more expensive brother. But I love it! I own it over a week now and it has given me even more motivation to get out and beat my goals. On it’s main screen, you are provided with the time, your steps total for the day, kms walked for the day, calories lost and the amount of floors climbed. While this shouldn’t be used as a replacement for a watch, I don’t need to wear one.

So, do you wear an activity band? How do you find it? Also, if you own a Fitbit, you can find me here!

December 11, 2015by Clearskies Camino

About me

Hello, my name is David. I am a peregrino living in Dublin, Ireland. I have visited Spain and Portugal and walked its many roads to Santiago since 2011. On this site, you will find my stories, photos, and observations from my Caminos and my planning for future Caminos. Feel free to get in touch with me here

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