These are the sentiments of author Joseph Murphy as he reflects on a 1,500 kilometre walk from Kerry to Lewis, along the west coasts of Ireland and Scotland.

It is this three-month hike – aided by the odd bus, train, boat or taxi – that forms the backbone of his new book – At The Edge.

But this coastal adventure is one that stemmed from deep roots.
For Joseph – of Irish descent but born in England – the journey was an exploration of identity and heritage.

Walking the full length of the Gaelic west coast, passing through places where Gaelic language and culture are strongest today, Joseph embarked on his personal rite of passage, unravelling the fascinating history and culture of the Gaelic language.

The 38-year-old, who lives near Shilbottle, said: "I went to my grandmother's funeral in Belfast and the service was performed in Gaelic, as requested and preferred by my family. I couldn't understand a word of it. My grandparents considered Gaelic to be their native tongue but the words were incomprehensible to me.

"The sadness of losing a grandparent came first but I was troubled further by language loss."

In the book, which was published last month, Joseph adds: "I felt troubled and oddly out of place, like something important was slipping away. Half-forgotten childhood memories and reflections on family history had become questions of culture, heritage and identity."

With that, Joseph set-off on his Gaelic mission, between June and August 2006, to uncover and reflect on his own identity.

What started as an exploration of identity, soon became a grateful acknowledgement that any connection with Gaelic culture is a hereditary gift.

Joseph, who also examined what the future held and what the meaning was of sustainable development for these stretches of coastline, said: "It is a great privilege to have this cultural background.

"The more you immerse yourself in it and know the aspects, the more you get a great sense of pride that you have a connection with it. To know something about the language is to know something about the landscape and history of a place."

The book is Joseph's first for a wider audience and is a fascinating insight into Gaelic traditions, packed with poems, maps and anecdotes.
And while Joseph's Gaelic trip filled both a personal and professional void, it has also helped sow the seeds for a novel.

Publisher of a number of articles and academic books, Joseph, a Senior Research Fellow in the Sustainability Research Institute at the University of Leeds, said: "I now have a novel I want to write, base around my walk, but with fictional characters and on a fictitious island. It will be a Dystopia/Utopia story and a novel which shows how that happens."

At The Edge, published by Sandstone Press Ltd, is priced £11.99. ISBN 978-1-905207-22-0.