From Rostrevor to Santiago - Brian's Pilgrimage

Brian O'Callaghan is making a personal pilgrimage to the Shrine of St James in Santiago. Brian is 68 and sadly lost his wife, Alice, a year and a half ago. He is walking the whole 1600 mile (2,700 km) land route, through Ireland from Rostrevor to Rosslare and from Cherbourg, down through France and over the Pyrenees to Santiago. He sends regular updates of his progress and reflects on his life and experiences as he goes. These are available on-line from this page as are links to albums of his photographs which are updated from time to time.

While Brian is making the pilgrimage as the fulfillment of a long-held dream, he is conscious of the millions of people in the Continent of Africa, particularly women, who are daily confronted with the task of having to walk many miles in search of water and fuel. For them, walking is a necessity of life, both for themselves and for their families. They do not have the luxury of choice - they walk or they and their families perish.

Brian wants to bring their plight to peoples attention, and to help make a difference. While the developed world squabbles about the availability of consumer products and fashion accessories, millions teeter on the brink of starvation and worse. We all need to do what we can to help. That is why Brian is asking you to make a contribution to the task of making their lives a little easier. He has teamed up with the international charity, Concern, which has the capacity, and the infrastructure, to channel resources to the most needy.

Brian's Updates
Brian here provides a commentary of the people, friends and family who accompany him or who he meets along the way, and the reflections that occupy him on his pilgrimage. The regular updates begin on a daily basis but change, as he goes, to a more general, occasionally thematic, approach.
Notes on the Camino
Note on St.James the Elder
'The Pilgim' by Sir Walter Raleigh
Notes on Concern
Sponsorship Appeal
First Day photos
Irish News Article -23 March 2005
Newry Democrat Interview -29 March 2005
Newry Democrat 12 July 2005 - End of Pilgrimage
Map of continental route
Last Day photos

Photographs [This is an external site
- use BACK botton to return to this page]

Through Ireland Loaded: 20 April 2005
France (1) Loaded: 24 April 2005
France (2) Loaded: 30 April 2005
France (3) Loaded: 8 May 2005
France (4) Loaded: 20 May 2005
France (5) Loaded: 1 June 2005

Links: Other Personal Journals of the Camino

Click on dates in panel for Updates
25 March 26 March 27 March 28 March 29 March 30 March 31 March
1 April 2 April 3 April 4 April 5 April 6 April 7 April
8 April 9 April 9 and 10 April 11 to 22 April 15 to 27 April 28 April to 2 May 3 to 7 May
7 to 16 May 17 to 19 May 20 to 24 May 25 to 28 May 28 May to 1 June 2nd and 3rd June 4th to 18 June
19th to 21 June 22th to 28 June 29 June to 4 July 5th and 6 July      


Brian officially finished his pilgrimage on 9th July, and the event is recorded on a screenshot from a local webcam in Santiago, available HERE. Brian was accompanied by family and friends.

Copyright © updates - Brian O'Callaghan 2005. Design - Pat Devlin 2005

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