It’s summer, and John Connell finds himself - like so many others - confined to his local area, the opportunity to freely travel and socialise cut short. His attention turns to the Camlin river - an ever-present source of life for his hometown’s inhabitants and, for John, a site of boyhood adventure, first love, family history and local legend.

He decides to canoe its course with a friend, a two-day trip requiring physical exertion and mental resilience. Despite the world growing still around them, the river teems with life - a symphony of buzzing mayfly and jumping trout. Meandering downstream, John muses on what’s brought him here: his travels, his past relationships and his battle with depression, as well as on Irish folklore, geopolitics and philosophy.