A Bitter Wind is a ramble through an Ireland of the heart that no longer exists. It takes us on a journey into the secret heart of Irish country life in the 20th century. It depicts too the universal battle of man against the elements.

Unfolded here are the beliefs of ordinary people, their superstitions, customs, fears and joys, their struggle to extract a living from the ruthless extremes of nature on land, sea and shore. In these pages we re-live the adventures of ordinary individuals who, in snatching a livelihood from the forces of nature, lived extraordinary lives.