In January 1979, when Eoin Warner was two years old, an oil tanker exploded in Bantry Bay. Among the fifty lives lost was Eoin’s father. This devastating event cast a long shadow, shaping a childhood in which grief was a quiet presence at the table and in the empty front seat of the car.

During this time, Eoin discovered how the natural world reflects so much of our human story, and it became his refuge. This memoir is not a straight line through loss; it’s a series of vivid encounters with the natural world, brimming with enchantment and wonder. A seal nursing her pup on a moonlit Blasket beach, an otter gliding through a West Cork river, a fox entering Eoin’s home uninvited; each moment is layered with memory, folklore and the author’s lifelong curiosity for the wild.

In this beautifully written book, Eoin explores the gifts that nature gives us when everything else falls away – patience, solace and a sense of belonging. Rooted in Ireland’s landscapes and language, Through the Long Grass invites readers to look closer, to listen longer and to rediscover what it means to feel at home in the world.