Lockdown Lookback: Beef & Books in Delvin, Co Westmeath

There was a time when books were very precious. They were relatively expensive and not as plentiful. The notion of a society that burned books was not only one that was afraid of ideas but also dismissive of such unique artifacts.

I remember sitting in a café in Athlone one day and there were books on a shelf to take for free. I was thrown and a bit dismayed.

Here was something I had treasured, now so downgraded that they were treated like cheap plastic cutlery in a café.

But I picked up one and began to read and realised that books now had a new value - they ducked into your life by chance and had a chat - like a random conversation with another customer in a café.

So, now, rather than being like close friends or family you clutched to yourself, books had become like strangers you enjoyed a short few words with with while out and about. Valuable, just in a different way.

So, when you look at today's video. It's about a book sale but it's more, it's about the chance chats people are having over them.

And, of course, the first rule of going out on a story - always talk to the person on the gate.

Enjoy.

All the best,
Ronan