I bought a meaty volume recently called ‘Ireland’s Rivers’ by Mary Kelly-Quinn and Julian Reynolds. I was attracted by the title, but when I got it home and really started to read it I realised that it is more an academic book than what I was expecting. Nevertheless, I persevered in reading and analysing sections of it - it is not a book that I will read cover to cover, and to be fair I am not sure that was the author’s intent. I have now realised, in spite of poor news lately, what an enviable and incredible resource our river systems are.

It got me thinking as to whether it is feasible to find the the source of each of our rivers and walk and hike from said source to the sea (after having walk/hiked to the source in the first place!).