People connect to land in many ways – emotionally, socially, historically, spiritually, and economically. These connections provide memory, belonging, grounding, identity, and a sense of continuity with past and future. The land is not just a backdrop for life. It is an active participant in shaping our experiences. This post is a reflection on how I came to recognise my own connection to the land and and how much I still have to discover about my home county.
There are a few moments in our lives that alter our path forever. For me, one of those moments came during an evening archaeology course at UCD, when on a Saturday trip to the Cooley Peninsula, Prof. Gabriel Cooney’s words about human connection to the land opened a door I hadn’t even known existed – a door into a world that would change everything, not only in terms of a career path but also, my connection to nature.
I was born and raised in Co. Kildare though my parents were “blow-ins”. I feel connected to many landscapes of Ireland – the county of Cork, the north Antrim coast, the River Liffey, Glendalough. And also, abroad – the Peak District, Anglesey, the plains of Cambridgeshire, Vlychada Beach in Santorini, to name but a few.
So, I am almost ashamed to admit that there are only a handful of places in my home county of Kildare that I feel I have a connection to – the forest and lands at Castletown House, Leixlip, and Oughterard. Castletown because I grew up playing in the forest and the surrounding land of the house. Leixlip because I worked there for a time and the people were always lovely. And, Oughterard as a marker of the beginning of my life in archaeology – where I carried out one of my first ever surveys, on the round tower. It is a beautiful place with panoramic views of Kildare, and on a clear day, as far as the eye can see.
Perhaps my limited connection to Kildare comes from not exploring it deeply enough. It is time to change that. I want to know more about my county, my country, and the world. But for now, I’ll start closer to home.
Many of us haven’t yet realised we have a connection to the land but there it is, everywhere, waiting to be rediscovered. And perhaps, some of us are connected to the land in ways we have yet to understand.
The land feeds us, grounds us, and carries the history of those who walked it before us. Walking, observing, or working with the earth nurtures a sense of belonging and reminds us that we are part of a larger story. Connection to the land is connection to life itself. And we can do it in very simple ways and still feel a quiet moment of warmth, like watering plants in your garden, picking blackberries, watching the colours of autumn fall from the trees, going for a walk on a river bank, gazing at the stars in the night sky…
I have studied the land, excavated it, surveyed it, and become inextricably linked to it. I have developed a love for it like no other. As strange as it sounds, the land is now central to who I am. And because of this, it is central to what I want to achieve with Oak & Oolite.
*”It’ll come to you, this love of the land”: This quote and the image above is from a scene in Gone With the Wind when Gerald O’Hara is dismissing his daughter Scarlett’s remarks about Tara not meaning anything to her. Standing under the oak tree with her father viewing the land together highlights the deep connection to family, heritage, and the land. It isn’t until later in the story, when she remembers her father’s words, that Scarlett realises that true strength lies in the land. The scene highlights how her family roots and Tara itself shape her identity and resilience.
The hope for this blog is to inspire others to reconnect with the land, to uncover its history, to understand who lived here and what they ate across millennia, and to discover – and taste – what the land still produces today, sharing its stories across time.
So, this is where Oak & Oolite starts – with connection – and it is only the beginning of the journey. Come along and join us as we explore the land, its stories, and its flavours.
cover image: Cooley Peninsula, Co. Louth
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