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A Sheepdog Named Oscar

Love and Companionship in Rural Ireland
By Dara Waldron and Dara Waldon
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Brief Description
The New York Times bestseller After the sudden death of his father, Dara Waldron became disoriented in a world that had once filled him with wonder. A year later, he meets an abandoned border collie called Oscar hiding on a derelict farm in County Clare. When... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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The New York Times bestseller – a moving memoir of grief, healing, and the unbreakable bond between man and dog

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The New York Times bestseller

After the sudden death of his father, Dara Waldron became disoriented in a world that had once filled him with wonder. A year later, he meets an abandoned border collie called Oscar hiding on a derelict farm in County Clare. When Dara brings him home, he believes he’s committing an act of rescue.

Oscar’s submissive behaviour hints at a difficult upbringing and, determined to earn his trust, Dara cares for him, walks with him and learns all he can about one of Ireland’s most beloved working breeds. As their unexpected companionship brings comfort to their troubled lives, Dara realises that Oscar might be the one doing the rescuing.

Set against the beauty of rural Ireland, A Sheepdog Named Oscar is a moving memoir about grief, healing and the incredible bond between humans and dogs. Beautifully written and rich with Waldron’s experience, Dara blends nature writing with a deeply personal story of recovery, revealing how small acts of loyalty can lead us back from darkness into life.

‘This book will do great good, and bring light to many lives’ — Donal Ryan, author of The Spinning Heart

Dara Waldron, New York Times bestseller, September 2025

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781398562301

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 21 May 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Simon & Schuster Ltd

Illustration: approx. 30 integrated b-w photos

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 240

Collections

25 Gifts for the Person Who Loves Dogs More Than Humans Best Sellers at Book Hero Biography & Memoir Black Friday Sale Black Friday Sale: Biographies & Memoirs Black Friday Sale: Books Dara Waldon Dara Waldron Gifts $20-$50 In Stock Books Non-Fiction Science & Nature

About the Author

Dara Waldron is a film scholar and author of two monographs and multiple articles in international film journals and magazines. In 2023 he published a study of sheepherding traditions that formed the background for A Sheepdog Named Oscar, his first memoir. Born in Manchester and raised in the west of Ireland, he currently lives on the border between County Limerick and County Tipperary in Ireland’s Midwest region, close to the gates of well-known Glenstal Abbey and school, which feature prominently in his memoir.

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