While on the Camino the last time my fiend died at home in Ireland. He died suddenly from a heart attack only 30 years old. It was a strange time for me, as he had been the person that had first told me about the Camino de Santiago and got me interested enough to walk it.
I continued to walk for three weeks after I heard about his death. As time went on I would hear him in my head laughing at me, when as usual I started to take things to seriously.
In church yesterday the talk was about death, and what comes next. The what comes next has been something of great human enquiry for as long as we know. I remember from my philosophy class when Plato writing of Socrates talks of death and how we have no idea of what it may hold for us. We are still trying to get some answers 2500 years later. People in church were talking about near death and clinical death experiences and how the experience of many seems to be so similar, perhaps pointing towards the idea that there is something of us that lives on.
As a result I have started reading Moody’s book Life after Life – so perhaps more of this later.
Walkning the Camino de Santiago, A Guide
Hi to who ever wrote the page on Dara Haskins,
searching once again something on the camino I found the irish-website, stunned by the name dara haskins I read into it. I´m sitting here now, quite confused not able to concentrate. Dreaming away in memories. I met Dara on the camino, the first time was in the middle of the night at a pilgrimservice in a convent. Twelve nuns sung beautifully, I sat next to him and I was amazed how lovely he sang. Afterwards I found out that he was irish, his bright blue eyes sparkling. I met him again a couple of days later just saying “hi”. The third time we met was in Galicia. You wrote that Dara said “it´s good for your soul”. Yes, certainly it is! There I met him for the third time, we talked all night. I guess, I have hardly met anybody I felt so close in my soul. Though we never walked together. We said good by. Timing our last couple of days, he wanted to arrive in Finisterre by the time I got to santiago.
Very much hoping to meet him again I wished to celebrate the pilgrims service together with him in the cathedral. Knowing that this wouldn´t happen… But sometimes wishes become true, I walked through the cathedrale, hoping, and there he sat: he had kept me a space in the overfilled cathedral…
All the rest of our meeting is very much alive in my memory and in my heart… Now there are tears – he tought me to believe in myself and how it feels to meet soulmates.
I am from austria, living in germany. The german camino is just outside my flat – I will go on a journey for him and our short time we knew each other.
After we´d done the camino he wanted to go to australia – did he ever get there???
I´d be very grateful and happy if you would let me know why Dara had to die so young, and what he was up to the last couple of years.
If you wish, I´ll send you a picture of Dara on the camino!
Yours
Elisabeth
Hello,
Elizabeth emailed me with the news of Dara. I, too met him on the Camino walk. I don’t remember when we officialy met but I saw him many times along the way. We had the opportunity to walk together, talk together and lie on our backs together in the middle of a field in the wee hours of the night. Dara had carried with him a map of the constellations. We didn’t get very far looking at them, we were too busy laughing, talking.
I am so sad. Dara has remained in my heart since our shared walk. He was such a passionate, intense, hilarious man. A man with beautiful blue eyes and a smile…well a smile.
We shared a beautiful moment, we shared beautiful moments.
I just recently attended a violin performance with words and images of the Camino. I attended for the memory of Dara. I listened for the memory of Dara.
I hold Dara in my heart.
Karen from Vancouver, British Cloumbia, Canada
Good to read your comments Karen. I like to hear of him from people he met along the way.
Thanks
I walked “the way” in 2003. I first met Dara in college and he got me a part time job in the Shelbourne Hotel. Dara was a true gentleman, great fun to be around, truly generous, was always well-intentioned and spirited. The last time I met Dara was in Maynooth, we chatted and he told me that he was going again to walk the camino. I wish that we had the time to walk this ancient path – Dara, rest in peace. Gerry