Sorcha McDonagh
Since 1999, I have crossed the North Atlantic 36 times. Eighteen times westbound, flying through daylight to an American afternoon; eighteen times eastbound, flying through darkness to an Irish morning. It is a short and easy journey, only five to seven hours each way, made in the comfort of a heavy jet.
For most of us, the Atlantic is no longer the awesome barrier that it was for our ancestors. For animals, the birds and fish who have been crossing the ocean for thousands of years, the journey has changed little with time. The Atlantic embodies the power and elegance of nature. In its stillness and storms, the ocean wears the successes and failures of human endeavor.
“Atlantic Crossings” is the story of three journeys by people and creatures over the water; contemporary journeys that are rooted in history. It is part of what I hope will eventually be a book.
