In August 1939 the Irish travel writer Richard Hayward set out on a
road trip to explore the Shannon region just two weeks before the
Second World War broke out. His evocative account of that trip,
Where the River Shannon Flows, became a bestseller. The book, still
sought after by lovers of the river, captures an Ireland of small
shops and barefoot street urchins that has long since disappeared.
Eighty years on, inspired by his work, Paul Clements retraces
Hayward's journey along the river, following - if not strictly in
his footsteps - then within the spirit of his trip. From the
Shannon Pot in Cavan, 344 kilometres south to the Shannon estuary,
his meandering odyssey takes him by car, on foot, and by bike and
boat, discovering how the riverscape has changed but is still
powerful in symbolism. While he recreates Hayward's trip, Clements
also paints a compelling portrait of twenty-first century Ireland,
mingling travel and anecdote with an eye for the natural world. He
sails to remote islands, spends times in rural backwaters and
secluded riverside villages where the pub is the hub, and attempts
a quest for the Shannon connection behind the title of Flann
O'Brien's novel At Swim-Two-Birds. The book gives a voice to
stories from water gypsies, anglers, sailors, lock keepers, bog
artists, 'insta' pilgrims and a water diviner celebrating wisdom
through her river songs and illuminates cultural history and
identity. It focuses on the hardship faced by farmers and
householders caused by the flooding of the river, which in recent
winters left fields and towns under siege by water. Wildlife,
nature, and the built heritage, including historic bridges, all
play a part. The Shannon Callows, which used to be 'corncrake
central', is explored for birdlife, along with the wildflower
secrets of roadside hedges and riverbanks. On a quixotic journey by
foot, boat, bike and car, Paul Clements produces an intimate
portrait of the hidden countryside, its people, topography and
wildlife, creating a collective memory map, looking at what has
been lost and what has changed. Through intermittent roaming, he
maps the geography of the river in stories, testimonies and
recollections, intercutting the past and the present in an eternal
rhythm. Beyond the motorways and cities, you can still catch the
pulse of an older, quieter Ireland of hay meadows and bogs,
uninhabited islands and remote towpaths. This is the country of the
River Shannon that runs through literature, art, cultural history
and mythology with a riptide pull on our imagination. This is a
tribute to Ireland's longest river reflecting the deep vein flowing
through the culture of the country
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