Castles, Follies and Four-Leaf Clovers

The fascinating and funny story of one woman's delightful ramble along St. Declan's Way--the Camino de Santiago of Ireland--battling the mist and the rain, with just an old photocopy of a map to guide her Rosamund's adventures begin when she is loaned a map of the ancient highway and pilgrim route St Declan's Way--one of Ireland's best kept secrets, it is rich in history, castles, and larger-than-life characters. Intrigued, she returns to Ireland. Setting off from the famous Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, she travels through small towns and villages, across the beautiful Knockmealdown Mountains, to the town of Lismore with its spectacular castle where her family used to live, and then on to the fishing village of Ardmore in County Waterford. Battling the rain as she follows narrow country roads, little-used tracks, and overgrown paths, she traces the footsteps of St. Declan. From a day at a horse fair to climbing mountains and tracking down fairy forts, she captures perfectly the local characters and castles, miraculous wells and talking statues, the broken dreams and local legends. Stories of goddesses, ghosts, and fairies are intertwined with the eccentricities and daily lives of everyday people--this is a journey full of the surprises that only Ireland can offer.