Eoin Warner: Nature is my refuge in times of intense grief — and times of joy and wonder

In 1979, at just two years of age, Eoin Warner lost his father when an oil tanker exploded in Bantry Bay. The natural world would become his refuge. In his new memoir, he writes vividly about his deep connection with nature

Eoin Warner with his dogs on Grattan Beach, Salthill, Galway. Photo: Ray Ryan

Dogs love routine. I’m convinced our youngest, a pup of six months, can already read the kitchen clock. Every morning he barks his wake-up call at exactly 6.45 am. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a snooze button. I sometimes bark back from upstairs, but it never works.

Opening the kitchen door, all is quiet. Three innocent dogs sit in a row, staring — eyes burning with happiness to see me. The oldest is a little black and white mongrel terrier; she is the boss. The other two are English setters, father and son, who look like carbon copies of each other. With my hands on my hips, I play the game and ask in a stern tone, “Who was barking this morning?” The pup can’t contain himself and is the first to burst into a full-body wiggle. Subtlety goes out the window, and they all begin to dance on the spot.