Wild Thing - Finding hope and a home in the natural world

'Randal's voice dares to diverge in a world built on conformity and tradition. I genuinely revelled in every moment. This book is raw, heartfelt, brave and just utterly alive' - Seán Ronayne, author of Nature Boy

At the age of 28, Randal Plunkett inherited the title of Baron Dunsany, alongside Dunsany Castle and the 1,600-acre estate and found himself at a crossroads. A reluctant aristocrat, he now lets nature run wild on grounds his ancestors farmed for centuries.

What Randal had was a vision of Dunsany given back to nature. A memoir-with-a-message, Wild Thing showcases how this poisoned chalice - a cold, leaky, needy castle, with all the responsibilities to the generations before - inspired a personal journey toward fulfilment, a vital mission toward a better, more sustainable, future, and a call to arms for the environment, and the people who live in it.

About the author

Randal Plunkett is the 21st Baron of Dunsany Castle in Co. Meath. Born in New York, and brought up in New York, London, and Switzerland, as well as in his native Ireland, he returned to Dunsany Castle aged 23.
Upon inheriting the title Baron Dunsany, together with the castle and estate, he has spent the last decade working to re-wild a large portion of the 1,600 acre estate, while dedicating the remainder to sustainable plant-based agriculture.

Product details

• Authors: Randal Plunkett
• Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 09.10.2025
• EAN: 9781804189559
• ISBN: 978-1-80418-955-9
• No. of pages: 288
• Dimensions: 165 mm x 244 mm x 28 mm
• Weight: 508 g
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature > Letters, diaries; Memoirs, NATURE / Ecosystems & Habitats / Wilderness, LAW / Land Use, Ireland, Conservation of wildlife & habitats, Nature and the natural world: general interest, Conservation of wildlife and habitats, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Memoirs