The Irish Sun profiles “English-accented” hermit Peter O’Neill, who died recently at 71. O’Neill lived alone in the Wicklow mountains in a hut, and maintained a large number of books, journals, and writings. The local priest came to his acquaintance and enjoyed O’Neill wide range of knowledge.
Interestingly, Peter is not the only person living in such a way in Ireland. And priest Fr Crotty reckons that perhaps these people who have detached themselves from society are worth paying attention to.
He said: “There are 37 other such men living in forests around Ireland. Maybe they are people we should be looking at and listening to, maybe they’re telling us something very profound about the need to be in touch with our world and our environment.
“To that extent I’d look up to him and say, ‘well done’.”