This is the story of the Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, and its role in human lives. To many people what makes it special is a state of mind that comes from losing yourself on, in, or near it. When Aiveen Cooper reached the Atlantic Ocean, she understood this. On foot, by canoe or on an old Dutch sailing barge, she journeyed from the Cuilcagh Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean between Kerry and Clare Heads. In places along the way, she excavated stories of the river intertwined with the story of Ireland, from eels and otters, eskers and islands, to ancient kings, myths, and monastic settlements, from Viking raids and Napoleonic fortifications, to transportation and tourism.