In this wondrous new work of nature writing, naturalist Declan Murphy undertakes an unforgettable journey across Ireland in search of its rarest and most beguiling orchids – accompanied always by his steadfast Dalmatian, Lucy. What begins with the discovery of a single withered stem in the winter‑bleak Burren becomes a summer‑long odyssey through limestone pavements, mountain bogs, ancient eskers and hidden woodlands. 

Murphy's luminous, deeply attentive prose reveals a hidden Ireland where Arctic and Mediterranean species meet, where orchids flower briefly and mysteriously, and where nature's beauty is inseparable from its fragility. Along the way, he encounters rare plants, devoted botanists, moments of quiet revelation, and landscapes that feel both timeless and under threat. 

Both a memoir of wonder and a celebration of Ireland's wild places, this is a moving, richly observed tribute to curiosity, resilience, and the quiet companionship of a dog who sees it all at his side.



Declan Murphy is an Irish naturalist and writer whose work has appeared in the Irish Wildlife Trust, the Native Woodland Trust, BirdWatch Ireland and The Sherkin Comment.   He is the author of A Life in the Trees (2018), and The Spirit of the River (2021), praised for its vivid, immersive prose.



'An odyssey and an exhaustive search for a special group of plants in some of Ireland's remaining wild places. Personal yet panoramic.'



Declan Murphy is a person who feels nature deep within his bones, and this transfers vividly onto paper in all of his works. This book is far more than a quest to see every Irish orchid species - it's an insight into the intricate beauty right on our doorstep and how, if you are willing to slow down and let it in, can fill you with joy, curiosity, and awe. The world viewed through Declan's lens, accompanied with his heartfelt love for his dog Lucy - is both extremely beautiful and touching. And it makes you want to get out there on your hands and knees and get to know the small stuff that we often walk right past. Declan has a wonderful knack of combining fact, feeling, and experience into a blend that flows, and makes you feel.