Ireland is a country of infinite variety, from the remote uplands of the Cuilcagh Mountains in the north-east, and the wooded vales and peatlands of the central regions, to the wave-lashed Atlantic coast in the south-west. There are over 2000 miles of coastline, and on the cliffs and the hundreds of islands offshore are breeding colonies of many different sea-bird species, as well as common and grey seals. The estuaries teem with birds and fish, while otters flourish near the rivers and streams. Inland the limestone grasslands of the Burren region of County Clare are home to a unique community of delicate plants which nestle in the fissures of the bare rock. The Connemara bogs and the lakes of Killarney have inspired artists and film-makers, and are home to an extraordinary range of plants and wildlife. For centuries Ireland's bogs have been exploited for fuel, and today are disappearing at the rate of 8000 acres a year, but there is still time to preserve the unspoiled bog valleys that remain. This record of a country of great natural beauty combines text written by a leading Irish natural-history film-maker, with over 100 colour photographs and maps, to provide an introduction to the unspoiled haven for wildlife that is justly called the Emerald Isle.