More than just about anywhere else, the landscapes of Ireland evoke the past. Viewing Donegal and the Antrim Glens through the lens of history enhances and gives resonance to every valley, mountain and ancient building.

Stephen Gwynn, who spent his childhood in Donegal and later became a prominent member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, travelled these counties on a bicycle, enabling him to take a close-up view of the townlands, rivers, lakes and historic sites he visited. His loving interest in the history of these places brings his accounts to life, revealing as they do, the hidden stories and associations behind the evocative exterior of the land.