The Whispering Land: Myths, Legends and Lore from the Wild Atlantic Way

Ireland’ s landscape is steeped in folklore and history, and the untamed Atlantic seaboard is no exception. Stretching from the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal to Kinsale in Cork, the Wild Atlantic Way encompasses 2,500 kilometres of spectacular coastline and a wealth of folk tales passed down through generations. This book immerses us in the wild beauty of Ireland’ s western periphery, seeks out these stories and explores their origins. Renowned landscape photographer Carsten Krieger has traversed and captured Ireland’ s verdant terrain for over twenty years. In this time, he has imbibed the geology, history and heritage of the island he now calls home. On his journey to create this book, he has retraced his steps, listening to the echoes of the past and looking with fresh eyes to unearth ancient legends and myths. While some of the places, stories and events in this book may be familiar, this is the first time they are presented in this way: a beguiling combination of photography, folklore and history. Through the eyes of a curious photographer, the already enchanting landscape is imbued with a touch of magic.

Carsten Krieger grew up in rural southern Germany. As a child he was an avid reader and had a keen interest in natural history and photography. On hearing that The Lord of the Rings was partly inspired by the landscape of the Burren, Carsten made his first trip to Ireland, and would end up settling in County Clare, starting a new life and career as photographer. When he is not photographing and writing new books, Carsten works in the fields of nature education and renewable energy.