DARA WALDRON
Author | Researcher | Educator
What is being said about the NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING A Sheepdog Named Oscar
"A beautiful, vulnerable, polymathic book that traverses art and animal; the rescue and recovery of Oscar and author; and the belonging of each to the other in their own particular way."
- Jack Anderson, Irish Examiner
Latest Release
A moving memoir of grief, healing, and the unbreakable bond between man and dog, set against the lush backdrop of rural Ireland.
After the sudden loss of his father, film scholar and father of two boys, Dara Waldron finds unexpected solace in Ireland’s East Clare region. There, on an abandoned farm, he encounters a lone, enigmatic border collie—Oscar. What begins as an animal rescue gradually evolves into a profound companionship that helps Waldron navigate his grief.
Oscar is no ordinary dog. A working sheepdog by nature, his instincts pull him to charge ahead—yet always return. As Waldron embarks on daily walks through misty woodlands and along rugged hillsides, their bond deepens. Each step through the Irish countryside becomes part of a ritual of recovery, trust, and understanding.
In spare, lyrical prose and accompanied by cinematic images of Oscar’s life, A Sheepdog Named Oscar is more than a story of a man and his dog—it’s a meditation on place, memory, the call of the wild, and the quiet strength found in nature and companionship. With reflections on cinema, art, and animal consciousness, Waldron crafts a uniquely soulful memoir that explores the emotional terrain of loss and the redemptive power of connection.
For readers of Jon Katz, Helen Macdonald, and nature-infused memoirs, A Sheepdog Named Oscar is a poignant reminder that sometimes the path to healing begins with a four-legged guide.
Ireland/UK Edition
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster UK
US Edition
Publisher:
DoppelHouse Press US
Latest news
Press
Irish Independent - ‘A Sheepdog Named Oscar’ review: Dara Waldron’s moving memoir on how his adopted border collie gave him emotional and even spiritual kinship
Agriland- A Sheepdog Named Oscar: Love and companionship in rural Ireland by Dara Waldron is more than just a tale about one man and his dog.
Listen to 2025-09-09-All About Books - Interview with Dara Waldron - A Sheepdog Named Oscar
Podcast
Podcast
Listen to 2026-05-25 - Oliver Callan- A Sheepdog Named Oscar: Love & Companionship in Rural
Ireland by RTE
Podcast
Listen to 2026-05-26 - Live95 - Limerick lecturer on his book success
Book launch
Liber Bookshop
Tuesday, June 30th at 5:30pm
Liber Bookshop
35 O’ Connell St,
Knappagh Beg
Sligo, F91 X32H
Boswell Books Milwaukee
Thursday, October 30th at 6:30pm
Boswell Book Company
2559 N Downer Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53211-4242
Book Signing
About Dara
Dara Waldron is an academic researcher and educator whose main area of specialisation is film and expanded documentary. He is also the author of the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling memoir A Sheepdog Named Oscar: Love and Companionship in Rural Ireland, published in 2025 by Dopplehouse Press.