“Socrates” — Driftwood from Old Head Beach
Louisburgh. County Mayo August 2023

Discovered along the rugged shoreline of Old Head Beach, this piece known as Socrates is a rare fusion of ancient peat and a hardened carbonized crust — a natural sculpture formed over millennia.  It likely originated from the remnants of submerged peatlands that were slowly exposed by coastal erosion and tides.

Over thousands of years, layers of organic material — trees, roots, and bog vegetation — became buried and compacted within the coastal bog. The lower oxygen and high tannin environment preserved the peat, while the outer layers were hardened by time, pressure, and the constant abrasion of Atlantic saltwater and sand.
The result is a remarkable surface contrast:
Charred black ridges where the carbonized shell resisted decay, and
Warm earthen tones within the exposed peat, revealing the inner texture of ancient Irish soil.
Carried and shaped by the sea, Socrates embodies both erosion and endurance — nature’s own philosophy of transformation. Its thoughtful contours and weathered form evoke contemplation, fitting its name: a timeless remnant that asks, as the philosopher did, that we look beneath the surface.
 
Approx size: 13 cm (h) x 25 cm (w) x 2 cm (d)