Con Houlihan was born in CastleIsland and, following a career as a teacher and bookmaker, moved to Dublin, where he worked on the Irish Press and Evening Press for many years. A Harvest is a rich and eclectic collection in which the reader is more likely to come upon a piece on Gerard Manley Hopkins or Walt Whitman than one on Lester Piggot or world-championship boxing. Through the entire book, the luminous quality of the writing shines through. A Harvest will cement Con Houlihan's reputation as a man of letters as well as an outstanding sports journalist.