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Running through ancient landscapes has allowed me to understand the British Empire

From Ireland to Australia, running across the land brings back memories Britain has long forgotten.

By John Connell
Running through ancient landscapes has allowed me to understand the British Empire
Running is a great way to see a country | John Connell
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When I run through the quiet roads of my home county in rural Ireland I run over the ghosts of 75,000 people.

They are all that remains of the dead and departed famine Irish from my home. They are the faceless number from our British history in this Irish land and they make me reflect each and every time. They are part of the living palette of the colonial. 

I'm a writer and a runner and some time ago I undertook a marathon journey through my home for a new book. It was in many ways a run-through time, a journey to understand this land which has known countless revolutions but also a land that has played its part in the project of empire. 

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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0