Gerald of Wales was among the most dynamic and fascinating churchmen of the twelfth century. A member of one of the leading Norman families involved in the invasion of Ireland, he first visited there in 1183 and later returned in the entourage of Henry II. The resulting Topographia Hiberniae is an extraordinary account of his travels. Here he describes landscapes, fish, birds and animals; recounts the history of Ireland's rulers; and tells fantastical stories of magic wells and deadly whirlpools, strange creatures and evil spirits. Written from the point of view of an invader and reformer, this work has been rightly criticized for its portrait of a primitive land, yet it is also one of the most important sources for what is known of Ireland during the Middle Ages.

Providing an account of his travels, the author describes landscapes, fish, birds and animals. He recounts the history of Ireland's rulers, and tells stories of magic wells and deadly whirlpools, strange creatures and evil spirits. This work is written from the point of view of an invader and reformer.

Originally published in 1976, this is a work of scholarship and observation setting out the history and heritage of a most beautiful Irish county and how one gets to see what should be seen.

His Topographia Hiberniae is an account of Ireland and its early history as seen by a Norman in A.D. 1185. The tone is colored by the circumstances in which Giraldus wrote, but his credulity is delightful and his gift for storytelling matchless.