Fr Alan Hilliard

When ice pierced the wattle boat, the crew could reach into the water and patch the hole.

Had the boat been made of wood or steel, the vessel would have had no choice but to sink.

Some words of Brendan have more relevance than ever for this Dublin man who looks to his Kerry hero for inspiration.

Christ of the mysteries, can I trust you to be stronger than each storm in me?

Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown.

Give me faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with you.

These words of a Kerry man helped this Dublin boy become a man.