Is é atá sa leabhar seo ná toradh na hainilíse a deineadh ar shaothar próis Sheáin Uí Ríordáin, coraíocht is trí chéad go leith alt a foilsíodh ó 1954 go dtí 1975. Is leis an Irish Times is mó a shamhlaítear an saothar seo mar is ann a foilsíodh a bhformhór mór ar bhonn seachtainiúil. Baineann eachtraíocht seo Uí Ríordáin go dlúth le hÉirinn na seascaidí agus na seachtóidí. Áirítear cleachtadh seo an phróis aige ní mar ghné thánaisteach d'obair an fhile mhóir seo ach mar chuid thábhachtach dá chleacht cruthaitheach. Dúisitear suas dioscúrsa Uí Ríordáin I gcomhthéacs iarchoilíneach a thugann cead cainte agus ceart an ealaíontóra dó, rudaí a cheileann canóin liteartha cultúrtha an Bhéarla go minic. Tá plé an chultúir agus na hurlabhra (na teanga) trí chéile sa treis i gcónaí sa leabhar.

This book examines the prose of major Irish language poet Seán Ó Ríordáin, comprising of up to 350 articles that were published between 1954 and 1975. These are mostly associated with the Irish Times where most of them were published on a weekly basis. Ó Ríordáin's prose speaks of nineteen sixties and seventies Ireland and the contention of emergent and risidual identies which are thought to have come to the fore at that time. The prose is seen as central to the practice of the poet and not secondary or peripheral to it. Drawing on varied approaches, from literary theory to ethnographic and discourse centred approaches the work of the poet is relocated in a new historical, cultural and political context, a postcolonial context that loosens it from the restraint of the literary cultural canon of both the English and the Irish languages. The conflictual nature of language and culture is foregrounded throughout. This publication was Book of the Year at Merriman Winter School in 1999.

Review
"Léiríonn sé aclaíocht aigne an Ríordánaigh agus an t-áiteamh caolchúiseach a bhí ar bun aige chun an teanga a chosaint orthusan a bhí ag breith cúng uirthi in ainm an impiriúlachais faoi 'aghaidh fidil an liobrálachais'.  Leis sin treisíonn sé go mór lena mhaíomh féin 'gurbh é an Ríordánach an scríbhneoir ba mhó tabhairt amach ar an  'post-colonial moment' i stair dhéanach na hÉireann, agus an té ba mhó a dhein dian-iarracht ar theacht as an teannta faoi leith inar chuir iarsmaí an chóilíneachais cultúr na tire agus na Gaeilge go haonta'.....maisiú ar shaothar Uí Thuama agus Uí Choileáin is ea an leabhar údarásach seo."
Louis de Paor.