Saturday with Don O'Neill: I prefer to say I am spiritual rather than religious
Don O’Neill: It’s magnificent on the beach no matter the weather. Picture: Miki Barlok
I’d be up by 6am sometimes but 7.30am at the very latest. Before showering I’ll jump into my clothes and head to the beach in Ballyheigue for a walk and to do my morning gratitude affirmations. That short walk helps me to ground myself and to appreciate where I am and what I have. It’s magnificent on the beach no matter the weather.
I’ll come home and shower and have breakfast my husband Pascal will have made. Our breakfast is the same every day — organic oatmeal with almond milk, berries, and nuts.
Every Saturday morning we do a gentle Hatha Yoga practice with Dee at The Ready Hub. In New York of course I saw people walking around with yoga mats for years but it has taken me 40 years to learn certain things and I’m still learning. Pascal is a dancer so he’ll be folded in half like a piece of paper while I’m struggling with the straps in the class. It is great for strength and flexibility and I’ve realised, having been burnt out, that self-care and minding yourself are very important. If you don’t mind yourself you can’t mind anyone else.
Every day there is a family walk that includes my Aunty Breda, who has just moved home from the US, our neighbour Eileen who was my mom’s best friend, and Apollo the dog.
In Ballyheigue you can walk along the beach or the more sheltered spot behind the sand dunes. The craic is always mighty. Apollo is a collie/ golden retriever mix, he rules the house and knows he’s gorgeous.
We might go to Tides. Louise, who runs the cafe, makes a lovely cappuccino.
Pascal makes a gorgeous salad for lunch — spinach, nuts, fruit… all of the good stuff and no carbs. As we sit down to lunch we will video call Pascal’s mother in Guadalupe to catch up with her. His brother might join the call and we’ll ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ over Pascal’s new niece who is as cute as a button .
There will be a swim depending on the tide. The temperature doesn’t bother me. I call it ‘dipping’ rather than ‘swimming’. It’s certainly very invigorating — a fully immersive experience.
My niece will visit with my grand nephew Donagh, 3, and Katelyn, six months. Donagh is the smartest little boy and has me wrapped around his finger and Katelyn is the cutest little thing.
We’ll have an evening meal of some description — usually made by Patrick who’s a great cook.
Fr Gerard Finnucane, who was in the US for 30 years like myself, usually says Mass in Ballyheigue on a Saturday night. Part of my grounding and connectivity is that I see the world as part of a bigger picture. I feel connected to the eternal.
I prefer to say that I am spiritual rather than religious but I do feel that it is important to take time out from this mad crazy world we live in. There is a huge picture that is so vast, amazing and beyond us, and, if you can find a balance between the two, it helps you to live your life in this world better.
We’ll have tea and pie waiting for us when we get home from Mass.
Graham Norton will usually be our go-to watch. I drink the very odd pint of Guinness and Pascal doesn’t drink alcohol at all so we are not really pub people. If we are going out we’ll go to Kate Browne’s restaurant in Ardfert. They’ve been open for 25 years or more and the food has always been consistent.
We might stay up a little later on a Saturday but in general we are tired and in bed by 10.30pm. I’ll fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
- Don O’Neill is taking part in ‘Incognito 2025’ — an art sale where the artists are kept top secret until after the event. Half of the collection will feature in the ‘Incognito Gallery’ in Charlemont Square, Dublin 2 and will be on sale on April 11 and 12. The other half will be available online on April 16. In aid of the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation, each postcard-size artwork costs €70. See incognito.ie
