‘Unlike me, the Atlantic wild salmon does not have a voice, so it cannot tell the story of why and how it has been driven to the point of extinction.’

Once, the River Shannon was teeming with wild salmon swimming upstream. But when the enormous hydro-electric station at Ardnacrusha was built in 1929, what began as the Free State’s crowning achievement would have a devastating impact on the environment.

In this evocative and thought-provoking memoir, Patsy Peril recalls a life deeply entwined with Irish wildlife and embedded in the history of modern Ireland. From a childhood spent on the water to a national conservation campaign, Patsy has a lifetime of knowledge to share about the wild Atlantic salmon – and a plan to save it.

superb book by Patsy Peril about the fate of the salmon & the ecological disaster that is ardnacrusha

It weaves ecological, personal, social, even national, history SO engagingly

Patsy Peril grew up in the fishing community of Coonagh, on the outskirts of Limerick City. Involved in inland fisheries all his life, he is also an experienced light aircraft pilot. He has been deeply concerned with environmental matters since childhood, in particular concerning the health and future of Irish rivers. For decades, he has been involved in organisations involved with the oversight, protection, reclamation and sustainability of our natural environment, as well as both local and national salmon net fishers’ associations. Patsy continues his activism, striving for a time when our natural waterways are respected and cared for, and for a healthy and sustainable balance between the uses of our environment and its wellbeing. A frequent contributor to meetings, conferences and congresses, Patsy is now ready to bring his crucial message to a general readership. Deirdre Nuttall has over twenty years’ experience of interview-led collaborative writing projects in the areas of memoir, biography, academic writing and popular non-fiction. Deirdre holds a PhD in ethnology and a master’s degree in Social Anthropology, with expertise in narrative, oral history and the ethnology of symbolic thought and practice.