My article “Remembering and forgetting the Kerry dead of the Spanish Civil War” was published in The Kerryman (8th November 2025).
Category Archives: Blog
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“
Queens and the Camino
Hello to Kate and her Crew on the way to Santiago! I thought a post on the work of a strong woman would be eminently appropriate, and who better than Urraca, Queen of León, Castile and Galicia (1081–1126) — a prudent and modest Jezebel possessed of good sense (in the mixed judgement of Diego Gelmírez’sContinue reading “Queens and the Camino”
San Jorge vs Santiago (St George vs St James)
As next Tuesday (23rd April) is St George’s Day (San Jorge), I thought one of Spain’s favourite saints deserved a look in. Naturally, he has some competition. But St George vs St James — no contest, right? Well, as ever it depends from where you’re looking, especially if you’re on the Camino Aragonés or CaminoContinue reading “San Jorge vs Santiago (St George vs St James)”
The Quintana façade: cover-ups in plain sight
The history of the Quintana façade is that of a cover-up, and I mean that literally, not metaphorically — after all, the historical links between the square and fascism are still openly on display, and that is an issue that many places on the Camino have sought to remove from memory. Instead, this cover-up isContinue reading “The Quintana façade: cover-ups in plain sight”
Denis Casey 