In the first comprehensive study of the Shannon Callows, a fascinating and distinctive landscape between Lough Ree and Lough Derg, whose character is determined by the seasonal flooding of the Shannon River, Stephen Heery has made an important contribution to our understanding of a hitherto neglected region. Mr. Heery traces the development of the Shannon Callows since the Ice Age and describes the impact of the annual flooding that has shaped the lives of those who have farmed here over the last few thousand years. The author also provides a detailed survey of the many species of flora and fauna found in such abundance, and concludes with a thoughtful discussion of the ways nature, farming and tourism can co-exist as we move towards the twenty-first century.