Declan Murphy has been a naturalist since his knapsack youth in Blackrock. The Spirit of the River is part paean to the natural world and part quest to discover more about the iridescent Kingfisher species. His lush, evocative, explorations gently lead us along in his pursuit as we encounter dabbling mallards, flitting wagtails, bobbing dippers, single-parent woodpeckers and countless other creatures. This gentle breeze of curiosity is ideally aligned with these contemplative, slow-flow, times.
Lilliput Press, €15
