Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
In this fascinating study, geologist Peadar McArdle shows how Patrick Kavanagh creates the link between Monaghan's steep drumlins and the harsh parsimony of its people. Bogs were long considered the domain of the backward, but now, thanks partly to Seamus Heaney's enriching insights, their image has been transformed to that of a cherished habitat. Louis MacNeice thought that Belfast's dour basalt reflected the character of that city's Protestants and, further south, W.B. Yeats considered that his childhood limestone influenced the simple charms of its inhabitants. This captivating county-by-county exploration deepens and enhances appreciation for Ireland's remarkable landscape and the impact it has had on Irish history and culture.