The title of this post might be a bit misleading because although it’s inspired by St Valentine’s Day, it’s not about those pilgrim romances that somehow develop while we’re all daily in a physically unattractive state that would never pass muster for a date in civil society. Rather it’s about a practice I encountered onContinue reading “Finding love on the Camino”
Author Archives: deniscasey
Kerry and the Spanish Civil War (2)
My article “Reverend Robert Hilliard: the Kerry clergyman who died fighting for the Spanish Republic” was published in The Kerryman (14th January 2026)
Padrón, peppers and preaching
The town of Padrón lies about 25km south of Santiago de Compostela (for those of you who use alternative measurement systems, in miles that’s 15.5, or in Camino it’s a day’s walk), and is perhaps best known internationally for the pimientos de Padrón (Padrón peppers), small peppers fried in oil until they blister and areContinue reading “Padrón, peppers and preaching”
Kerry and the Spanish Civil War (1)
My article “Remembering and forgetting the Kerry dead of the Spanish Civil War” was published in The Kerryman (8th November 2025).
Santiago’s other feast day — 30th of December
As Christmas rolls around and Camino kids get excited at whether Santa Claus or the Reyes Magos will leave a pair of hiking boots in their stockings, a few might notice that the Christmas period also sees the feast of Santiago/St James. Some of you will have enjoyed the celebrations of the feast of SantiagoContinue reading “Santiago’s other feast day — 30th of December”
Santiago peregrino (‘the pilgrim’): a saint just like you?
Since literacy levels were low in the middle ages, artists used a variety of iconographic means to communicate to their audiences, not least to help the viewer identify the subject of their works. Saints, in particular, were recognizable by how they dressed and by items associated with a defining event in their lives or theirContinue reading “Santiago peregrino (‘the pilgrim’): a saint just like you?”
Remembering John Brierley (1948-2023)
A while back I was asked to pen a tribute to John Brierley (1948-2023), for the Camino Society Ireland. He was the author of the most significant set of guides to the Camino in the English language (I discussed the maps in them previously) and a key figure in the modern history of the CaminoContinue reading “Remembering John Brierley (1948-2023)”
What is ‘authentic’ on the Camino?
What is ‘authentic’ on the Camino? It’s a word that gets bandied about a lot but — having recently looked at the Pórtico de la Gloria app (available to download here) — I want to put a thought out there. Speaking as a medieval historian, I have no problem saying that the Pórtico is theContinue reading “What is ‘authentic’ on the Camino?”
Sanctified in Stone: the consecration crosses of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
When you walk into the great cathedrals like those of Burgos, León or Compostela, it is easy to focus on the spectacular, like the Chapel of the Constables in Burgos, the stained-glass ensemble of León, and the high altar of Santiago de Compostela. Quite often these are architectural, artistic and spiritual gifts of later eras,Continue reading “Sanctified in Stone: the consecration crosses of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela”
Cash is king: money on the Camino
The euro, SEPA (Single European Payments Area), Revolut — they’ve all made paying for things on the Camino a lot easier in recent years. It’s not that long ago (only a little over twenty years) that a pilgrim would still have had to go to their local bank and put in an order for pesetasContinue reading “Cash is king: money on the Camino“
Denis Casey 