"A wise old owl lived in an oak,
The more she saw, the less she spoke,
The less she spoke, the more she heard.
Wasn’t she a wise old bird?"

Born in 1930, my father Jim Connell lived for many decades on the family farm at Loraine in the townland of Rathsillagh, County Kildare. In his eighty-sixth year, he spent several months in hospital and against the expectations of family, friends and medical staff, he returned to live at home where he first recited the above rhyme to me. During 2019-2022, he shared his memories and thoughts in a series of recorded interviews. A wide range of topics was covered and A Life's Harvest: Stories from the homeplace Loraine is based on the edited transcriptions of these interviews.

The book will be available for sale at the launch and part proceeds are going to the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation.

To hear my father please see this short video on our YouTube channel.