Wild Stories from the Irish Uplands

Book excerpt: Every Irish mountaintop can be reached by a reasonably fit walker, doing nothing more technical than putting one foot in front of the other. This means the Irish highlands have been accessible to humans since the dawn of history. Small wonder then, that these mountains did not become distant objects of reverence and fear, as they did with the huge and difficult to access summits in other countries. Instead, they became a unifying feature of the landscape and have been purposefully woven into the myths and legends used to bind communities. No matter where you go, the Irish uplands have been loaded with history and legend while being lauded in song and story, for through the ages they have been intertwined with the course of Irish history. John G O'Dwyer is a veteran hiker who has spent much of his life exploring the Irish hill country and interacting with those who inhabit these high places. He has now brought together this experience in a fascinating collection of stories from the Irish uplands. All of human life is there: rapparees, rebels, rogues and revered mystics, every one of whom has, at some time, seen it in their interest to interact with Ireland's highest places.