Booklist Review
This richly textured travel memoir details the author's physical and spiritual pilgrimage along St. Declan's Way, an ancient and largely forgotten Irish biway stretching 60 miles from the Rock of Cashel (fans of Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma, please take note) to Lismore Castle in County Waterford. Born in Ireland but raised primarily in England, Burton actually lived in Lismore Castle during her late teens when her father took a job as the land agent for the Duke of Devonshire. Along the way, she rediscovered the country she had always felt a special affinity for and resurrects the history and the mythology associated with this particular stretch of the Irish countryside. The fact that her walking journey took place during the wettest summer in more than 150 years only adds to the peculiarly Irish charm of the narrative. Populated with an appropriately fey cast of native characters, this intimate travelogue will delight armchair travelers and intrigue adventurers. It's also nice to see St. Declan, long overshadowed by St. Patrick, receive his due.--Flanagan, Margaret Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Freelance journalist Burton has long been enchanted by St. Declan's Way, an ancient Irish pilgrimage path that stretches from the Rock of Cashel to Ardmore. Her meandering, three-week walk down the neglected corridor is the perfect metaphor for the book's narrative: it frequently ambles down side roads of history, myth, language, and memory, but never for so long that it loses the greater path. On this journey, the potato famine feels as immediate as the recent financial collapse, and it's perfectly plausible that fairies cause Burton to lose her way. Because she was born and lived on and off in Ireland, Burton is able to draw on a wealth of memories and relationships, and she shares with readers her delight in making new discoveries. Information for travelers who want to follow in her footsteps is included. VERDICT With evocative images of the stunning Irish landscape and tantalizing glances into the country's rich history, this book will have strong appeal to travelog readers and travelers bound for Ireland. Those seeking a comprehensive history should try The Story of Ireland: A History of the Irish People by Neil Hegarty.-Audrey Barbakoff, Milwaukee P.L. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
