“The Search for Still Waters is about one sibling’s journey to make sense of his feelings around the life and death of his sister, who had severe cerebral palsy. Aoife couldn’t walk or talk and her condition was little understood in 1980’s rural Ireland. When she passed away in 2011, her brother Alan was left with many confusing and conflicting feelings. He had also suffered with his own mental health issues from being a child and so he decided that in order to understand his feelings better he would go on a journey. He walked from his house in Manchester to his parents’ house in Dingle, on the Atlantic coast of Ireland. His journey took him through some tough times and he both got the support and the challenge he needed to understand his own experience better so he could begin to move forward with his life in a healthy way. He also raised over £20k for mental health and disability charities through ‘Walk for Aoife’. One notable part of the journey was a 60 mile kayak trip over the Irish sea, from Porth Dafarch in North Wales to Dun Laoghaire in Dubin. You can see footage of the launch here. Also, here is a Granada Reports interview where Alan tells some of his story. You can buy a copy of The Search for Still Waters here”
