Anjelica Huston’s Ireland

“I lived in Ireland from the age of two, only leaving to go to school in London when I was about ten years old. My father’s house, St. Clerans, is in the west of Ireland, so that was also a large part of my going there with Richard Avedon for Vogue. The pictures were very innovative because they presaged the whole gypsy look; we even had one of the real caravans that the horse traders used to ride with these little Connemara ponies attached. During the shoot, we spent most of the time in the bogs of Connemara and the Burren, which is known for being like the moon – coincidentally, while we were there, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon for the very first time.

My love of riding began when I rode with the Galway Blazers, which was a pretty fierce hunt, where I was constantly jumping those stone walls the west coast of Ireland is famous for. I love the freedom riding gives you, whether you’re cantering through rolling green fields or galloping full pelt on a windswept beach – Ireland has some of the most unspoilt, rugged and breath-taking landscapes on Earth. But what I love most about riding is the perspective it gives you; you are too low for vertigo but high enough to give stature.

One of my most treasured memories growing up in Ireland was gathering seashells with my nurse on the beach near the harbor in St. Clerans, where the black currachs came in off the Atlantic, with their catches of silver mackerel like lost souls on the end of catgut lines of colored feathers. I have always loved the moodiness of the Irish coastline, particularly sailing around the Aran islands, even in Ireland’s inclement weather. My favorite is the island of Inis Oírr, where there is nothing but birds in all stages of evolution; cormorants, gulls and gannets, you can’t take a footstep without stumbling across a nest. It has an amazingly prehistoric feel to it.

I love the melancholic romance of Ireland’s castles, such as Yeats’ Thoor Ballylee, which is one of my favorite ruins. Then there are the beautiful grand stately houses like Lismore Castle in Waterford, where I have stayed over the years, and the ancient graveyards and 19th century Martello fortress towers that are dotted along the West Coast, which are crumbling before your eyes; there is something so heartbreakingly beautiful about it.”

…Anjelica Huston’s spirited memoir, A Story Lately Told: Coming of Age in Ireland, London and New York, for her evocative and romantic memories of growing up at St. Clerans, her family’s Irish estate near Galway.

…the slow road and enjoy a leisurely meander along the Irish country lanes in a romantic horse-drawn caravan. As gentle an escape as you could wish for, Kilvahan’s caravans offer anything from an overnight stay to a weeklong journey in a storybook cart.

…Borris House’s Festival of Writing & Ideas. Much of the charm of this literary event lies in visiting the idyllic, old-fashioned town of Borris in Carlow, where discussions with heavyweight writers such as Margaret Atwood and Donna Tartt might happen over a pint of Guinness at the local pub. While the festival is pretty low-key, it has regular high-profile attendees, including actor Dominic West, photojournalist Don McCullin, author Martin Amis and singer Florence Welch, who’s been known to perform in the chapel. Book early to get tickets for next June.

For more information on Ireland, visit ireland.com