The donkey is an integral part of the Irish landscape and tradition and was put to multiple uses in transport and agriculture.

The life of the donkey is described with tender insight drawn from the author's own experiences, from breeding to welfare, whether as pets or beasts of burden. Its afterlife in literature, folklore and mythology is evoked by James Stephens, Rev. J.P. Mahaffy, R.L. Stevenson, G.K. Chesterton, Patricia Lynch, Patrick Kavanagh and others.

The ass in the Bible, its cousin the mule and its relatives abroad also find a place, ranging from Somalia, Kenya, Iran and Andalusia to Kentucky and New Orleans, concluding with the legendary donkey of the 1915-16 Gallipoli Campaign.