No “Movember” this 2025, growing facial hair just does not do it for me, looking in the mirror each morning screaming, “Sweet effing Jesus“. However I am doing the 12 Dips of Christmas. So if you have a fiver (€5) to spare, and honestly that’s plenty, Pieta would really appreciate the support. If you have your own charities then ABSOLUTELY no worries. Please support your local fundraising efforts. In actual fact, I’ve seen so many down in Fountainstown, swimming, I’ll wager I’m not the first to approach you for this cause. https://www.justgiving.com/page/garry-benson-1?utm_medium=FA&utm_source=CL

Suffice to say, I’ve made way too many attempts to get a ‘Blog’ completed since May of this year. I’ve just deleted a number of attempts from my drafts folder (May, June, August and September) Now, come hell or high water, this year-end, a seasonal greeting will be published. 2025 was full of so much awfulness, Gaza, Trump, Ukraine, it was impossible (for me) to write a blog without OMG, the rage and the last thing I wanted to spread was a further rant on a blog. So, from us all here in rain soaked, frigidly cold, but getting a bit Christmassy, Carrigaline. My deepest best wishes for a beautiful, contented and loving Christmas

To compound things this year, I’ve lost a long held phone in a Pollock Hole accident and a corrupted Laptop which I am very happy to report, have been happily replaced and repaired respectively but I’ve made more than my fair share of mistakes in restoring contacts. A very Happy Christmas to anyone who’s Christmas feels a bit different this year, I think sometimes we use Christmas as a checkpoint, each time it comes around, we see all of the things that have changed in the last year. We are flooded with the feeling of familiarity that comes with Christmas lights and pine scented candles or potpourri. But we are also met the the incredible awareness that everything has changed since the last time we decorated a Christmas tree. Maybe you’ve seen some heartbreak this year. Maybe you’ve experienced some loss, maybe you’ve done some healing. And maybe you’re still working on it. But no matter what you’ve grown, and you should really be proud of yourself for all you’ve made it through, this year. Whether Christmas feels heavy or light, even if your heart is caught between familiarity and change, Merry Christmas, even if Christmas isn’t quiet the same.

I’m going to keep this seasonal best wishes to a minimum. As much as I adore and love this time of year, it is also profoundly sad as we miss those who have left us, the joy’s and memories of times past, the tear jerking stuff on the TV, and as I have, honestly reflected in the past, I can “Cry for Ireland”

Camino Frances 2025. I did a small section of the Camino Frances this year. And, yes, I did do some, but not enough TBH, training over and above my daily walking as there was considerable gradients, rough terrain and fairly dicey ascents on this three day 75KM section and I was seriously doubting myself. (Bricking it, is also a term we use here in Ireland) A buddy was to join me but as with all things in life, shit happens, and so I just got on with it and it was truly an amazing experience. And WHY may you ask was I attempting a walk of more than 90km’s in total over a pretty high mountain range, the Pyrenees, from France into Spain? Well, that goes back to the end of that rotten pandemic, and the decision to finally do something about my troublesome knee, from my illustrious rugby career (not) and took Mr. Right Knee, on his last walk around Kilkee and the pollock holes. Suffice to say that in the four years since my knee replacement, I’ve rehabbed the knee and wanted to challenge myself with what everyone on the bleeding internet was talking about, Camino de Santiago. And so in May 2025 I set off relatively nervously on my small section of the Camino Frances (the first 4minutes of David’s vlog linked here covers the section I happily completed successfully) and it was the most amazing, fulfilling and satisfying adventure I could have imagined, my short intro in May’s blog say’s it all, the incredible people, the walk in nature and the spirituality of the pilgrimage. I have more segments of the various Camino’s (and there are quiet a few) on my bucket list. The people I met along the way, including the most joyous Enniscorthy group one could be fortunate to meet, who took me into their flock, when I was feeling a bit lost and alone. I’ve lost whatever phone numbers and photos I had for them (explained above), so it will only be, by chance that they get to see this wee little blog. If you know them, please pass this along, with my sincerest thanks, as I’d love to reconnect. Thank you Edel Keogh, Hillary Rowe, Kay and Tom Herlihy, Katie Hart and Anne McVeigh for your fabulous Irish Craic and togetherness. Warmest Seasons wishes to each and every one of you.

I absolutely love Ireland, the Irish, our DNA and our sense of togetherness, craic and mutual ‘Oneness’* which I experienced on my wee Camino. I also met some amazing people (more on that below, with the Saw Doctors)’. Irish weather is frustrating, painful, beautiful and inviting all at the same time. I miss the warm sun we have experienced here in April and May which ‘brightened’ Ireland to no end. I miss the Spanish sunshine that is nearly guaranteed which made trekking the Camino such an lovely experience, and the many Spanish holidays, wonderful forever memories.

Trekking the Camino alone is both lonely and freeing at the same time, but my next adventure will be Camino Norte from Irun to Bilboa in May/June 2026 will hopefully be with some friends and fellow travellers (I’m far from a pilgrim, just a walker in nature).

The Saw Doctor’s Leo Moran & Davy Carton, joined Tommy Tiernan on the Tommy Tiernan Show. It was a spellbinding show. Dave and Leo were the most gracious people I’ve ever witnessed on TV. They later sang their masterpiece “Same Aul’d Town” accompanied by the magnificant RTE Concert Orchestra. It was plain to see this was an incredible joy for the Saw Doctors. This episode of The Tommy Tiernan Show (Link Below) also included the equally magnificant and brilliant, comedian Kyla Cobbler & composer Bill Whelan. (Full show link below)⬇️

https://www.rte.ie/player/series/the-tommy-tiernan-show/SI0000001918?epguid=IP10010666-09-0014

Friday 07th. November 2025

Multitasking my arse. It’s a fools game. As I write this blog, I’m up and down from the keyboard to do

A. Organising myself for a trip to the Aviva Stadium in the morning to see Ireland V Japan in the Autumn Internationals, (with Niall, Claire and Adam)

B. I’m also attempting to do a pot of Packet and Tripe as a traditional set-up to a big rugby match. Many a Friday evening or Saturday morning I leave Cork for Limerick city via Crohan’s Butchers in Kileely, Limerick to pick up the Packet and Tripe which Mam would carefully and lovingly cook in order for me to have a good feed before the rugby match in Thomond Park. Follow the link to see the recipe from an earlier blog. Not a lot of folk like the idea of this traditional meal, even less like the look of it but many, many generations in Munster (Limerick and Cork) survived on traditional food such as this.

A few bits, pieces and quotations…..

The life that you want is on the other side of the work you are avoiding, Jimmy Carr

Philosopher George Addair once said, ‘Everything you’ve ever wanted sits on the other side of fear’.

“The magic you’re looking for is in the work you’re avoiding”― Chris Williamson

Good Luck Andrea and Pat

We lost a lot of good folk this year, and I don’t expect 2026 to be much different as my age creeps up. Two absolutely lovely guys and really good friends departed this beautiful Earth in the very recent past. Andrea and Pat, both good men, both have a place, forever in my heart. I’ll miss them both, but I also know we will share a pint again soon, in a special lounge in the next world, which will truly be a “Heaven”. Andrea, (Castigiolioni) a true Italian, warm, chatty, intelligent and adored an Irish pub, as also my dear friend Pat (Slattery) of my Nirvana in west Clare, Kilkee. Pat, a sharp, traditional, GAA loving conversationalist with great stories of his time on this Earth, in Kilkee, London and New York. Loved the guy for his warm Kilkee welcomes and stories. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

A very topical issue here in Ireland at the moment due to the absolute rate at which pub’s are closing and going out of business. Over 2,100 pubs in Ireland have permanently closed since 2005, a decline of nearly one in every four pubs. The closures are accelerating, particularly in rural areas, with an average of two pubs shutting down every week. 

Key Statistics

Future Outlook: Industry analysis suggests a further 600 to 1,000 pubs could close over the coming decade without government intervention. 

Total Closures (2005-2024): 2,119 pubs have closed their doors permanently.

Closure Rate: This represents a 24.6% reduction in publican licenses nationwide.

Average Annual Closures: An average of 112 pubs closed each year, but this rate increased to 128 annually between 2019 and 2024.

Rural vs. Urban Impact: The decline is most acute in rural Ireland.

Counties with highest declines: Limerick (37%), Offaly (34%), and Cork (32%).

County with lowest decline: Dublin (1.7%).

I am blessed to have one amazing “Local” as we say here in Ireland, and it happens to be a few hundred kilometres from my home unfortunately. Regardless, when I am in the West Coast of Ireland I spend some great evenings from June to November with a fantastic collection of ‘Pure’ locals and a plethora of ‘Blow-ins’ enjoying a pint of Beamish and the best of chinwags in Fitzpatricks, Chapel Street. Check it out, next time you are in Kilkee over the summer. I’ve featured Fitzpatrick’s in previous blogs. Stay well, gang, until we meet again in 2026.

Crikey, the amount of folded arms made me laugh out loud.

Please pass this blog along to anyone you might think would like it. All ‘links’ are checked and safe and you will also find many other ‘Christmas’ related stories if you do a bit of digging here on http://www.findmywhy.blog

^{Next blog will concentrate on Meditation Practices, Transcendental Meditation, Mindfulness and soothing the noisy mind.}