S6E16: John Connell - Lessons From the Lambing Life

John Connell traveled far from Ireland in his 20s, and early in his career, his work yielded accolades in journalism and filmmaking. Yet happiness and contentment proved to be elusive. Returning to the family farm in Longford, one of Ireland's heartland counties, provided a restorative space to pursue a career as an author.

Three books followed, notably The Cow Book, which achieved critical acclaim; despite those successes, the way forward became unclear until an extended trip on the Camino de Santiago revealed the possibilities of another project that added deeper meaning to his life.

Join cohosts John Lee and Martin Nutty as they talk with John Connell about his latest book, The Lambing Season, and how life as a shepherd revealed new truths and understanding of what it takes to live well.

Links
Social Media

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Twitter/X

Books

• The Lambing Season
• The Cow Book (The Farmer's Son)
• The Running Book
• The Stream of Everything

Seamus Plug

• Conor Hammersley

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 3:03 A View of the Farm
• 6:54 Slowing Down
• 9:07 Deep Longford Roots
• 12:19 Terra Sanctis
• 13:50 Leaving and Returning to Longford
• 19:31 The Importance of Pilgrimage
• 23:22 Rural Life and the Multiple Hat Challenge
• 28:24 We Don't Choose to be a Refugee
• 30:49 Reading From The Lambing Season
• 33:02 Spiritual Travels
• 36:27 From the Camino to the Shepherd Life
• 39:17 The Granard Booktown Festival
• 44:58 What Does Success Look Like?
• 47:10 Inside the Barn
• 50:50 Seamus Plug
• 53:58 John and Martin Recap
• 55:28 Credits