Miriam Mulcahy: Walking to the Foot of the Sky [2026]

Always in the darkness that seems to follow me like a cloud, there''s a tiny kernel of
daring hope. Rising within me, radiating out from my core is a desire I cannot quiet or
ignore. I need to escape, to be somewhere that is completely immersive. Mountains.
Quiet. Solitude. Water. I crave being up on a height, with the world and its obligations
humming far below me in the distance.
A powerful, life-affirming memoir of grit, hope and rediscovery. When the
weight of single parenthood and relentless responsibilities threatened to crush
her spirit, one woman chose to walk - a line across Ireland, from the Shannon''s
shimmering waters to the wild edges of Roscommon and Leitrim. Alone, but
never truly on her own, she found connection, courage and a new sense of self.
This is the story of an odyssey: more than a thousand kilometres on foot throughIreland''s most breathtaking landscapes, swimming in every stretch of the
Shannon and spending nights in everything from stunning hideaways to rough
roadside beds.
Along the way she encountered strangers, reconnected with old friends and
experienced the enduring kindness of meitheal - the Irish tradition of
community help. Through rain and sun, guilt and freedom, exhaustion and
exhilaration, she followed a line of desire and determination. What began as an
escape became a transformation: a woman piecing herself back together, like
stained glass - every shard bound by love, nature and resilience.