Taking the scenic route to a slower pace of life

THESE days people spend their time boasting how fast they can get from Cork to Dublin or from Limerick to Galway on the motorway and miss out on the beautiful old roads that make up our country.

That’s the verdict of Cork-based author Jo Kerrigan and the reason why she wrote her latest book, Follow the Old Road.

Jo hopes to help readers discover the Ireland of yesteryear and reignite an appreciation for the winding laneways and narrow paths that are dotted across our unique countryside.

The book examines our lost railway routes, old sea roads, coastal tracks, country lanes and serene canal passages and is accompanied by spectacular images snapped by Jo’s husband Richard Mills along the way.

Jo hopes that the book will give people a colourful insight into the history behind the roads that tell us so much about our past and encourage people to not always be in such a hurry.

“People are obsessed with getting from A to B as fast as possible. They just want the quickest route possible but by doing that they’re missing out on these beautiful roads,” says Jo.

“The old roads tell us so much about the way we used to live. Life was so much slower and everybody knew exactly the type of flowers that were growing in the hedges because they travelled at human pace.”

The book explains how animals and livestock were often transported from the islands to the mainland and shines a light on the butter roads of Cork and Kerry, which saw farmers from as far away as the Blasket Islands bring churns of butter on their horse and cart to Cork city.

“It’s hard to believe how far the butter sellers came, bearing heavy loads on their backs or walking beside a laden pony.

“One old woman remembered her grandmother telling her that she would always knit a pair of socks on the Cork road – one sock going, one returning,” Jo writes.

Jo says one of the most memorable parts of writing the book was the research she and her husband carried out along the way.

“I met so many great people and heard some fascinating stories. We put an awful lot of footwork in. The old roads are there, I hope people now feel they can set off to find them and see the bluebells growing in the hedges,” she adds.

Jo says her aim when writing is to make history more readable and enjoyable for people; her next project is a book about the ancient Brehon laws that ruled over Ireland in bygone days.

“I want to bring the laws alive and make them bright and brilliant for people,” she says.

Follow the Old Road is published by O’Brien press and is on sale for €16.99 across all bookshops.