From a whitewashed cottage in the heart of the rural Cooley peninsula, Anne’s childhood windows of memories open. Her rich tapestry of words depicts images of a rural way of life which existed all over Ireland. The hands of time are temporarily stilled, as the reader is invited to bathe in the essence of precious moments. A beautiful journey to a time when Anne’s young fingertips were continually brushed by nature. She awoke each morning to the call of the rooster. Her childhood dreams were often filled with cute little baby piglets. Her father was one of the last generations to toil the land upon their knees. Out on the open fields along the east coast of Ireland, these people laboured diligently. Words carved upon the pages of this book preserves and honours their memory. As the winter’s winds howled over the higher reaches of the Cooley mountains, Anne spent many evenings by the firesides of fifteen of the oldest residents of the peninsula. Through the lens of time, each of these noble people have viewed ninety years and more of summer sunsets. From their aged lips, calm steady voices spoke of how it was. It was their wits which kept them alive. The produce of their fields and flocks sustained them. Fragments of each unique life is entwined into the stories Anne shares. Incredible people who remain symbols of self-sufficiency, of rural resilience and of a disappearing way of life. The counsel of their years now enlightens them. The gold dust of life eases each of their journeys around the sun. Standing on the edge of Eternity, they relish a beautiful contentment as they embrace the final chapter of their lives. This book holds their memories intact, ensuring that a trace will remain as the mists of time fall softly upon them.

The proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to The Carlingford-Omeath Red Cross. This is an organisation who for decades have supported the senior citizens of the Cooley peninsula by providing transport and social outlets.