Inspiring landscapes
When landscapes and stories collide
The Irish landscape has long been the star of poems, books, film and TV series - continuing to inspire writers and tourists today.
Lockdown gave many of us the time to explore new hobbies and with home travel back on the cards there’s never been a better time to set off, see the sights and explore hidden creative talents.
When author Cecelia Ahern wanted to find a peaceful place to act as the setting for the opening of her book Lyrebird, it’s no surprise that she ended up in Gougane Barra, Co. Cork.
Famed for its beauty and tranquillity, the forest park is beautifully brought to life through the Dublin writer’s description of tree-covered mountains filled with birdsong and the gentle movement of animals.
“The reason I chose Gougane Barra is that it’s a very peaceful place,” said the international bestselling author of PS I Love
You. “It’s one of many places in Ireland where you can recharge your soul.”
Sally Rooney’s Normal People, which went on to become a huge TV hit and catapulted actor Paul Mescal into mega leading man status, also takes inspiration from Ireland’s wild and beautiful countryside.
Set in Co. Sligo, it features imposing mountain Ben Bulben and golden Streedagh beach, as well as the elegant 16th century architecture of Trinity College Dublin and the capital’s buzzing streets.
Rooney’s debut literary sensation, Conversations With Friends, is also due for release next year with filming taking place in Dublin and Belfast.
Alison Oliver, an emerging talent from Lir Academy, Sasha Lane (The Miseducation of Cameron Post), Joe Alwyn (The Favourite) and Jemima Kirke (Girls) star in this complex coming-of-age drama directed by Oscar-nominated Lenny Abrahamson for the BBC.
Acclaimed novelist Anne Enright’s novel The Green Road is set on the Atlantic coastline of Co. Clare.
“The Green Road is the most beautiful road in the world,” says a character in the book describing the views over Galway Bay and further south to the soaring Cliffs of Moher and the rocky Burren.
Ireland’s great literary heritage combined with its alluring landscapes, have in turn created a wealth of writers’ retreats and creative writing holidays where you can follow in the footsteps of the greats such as Yeats, Heaney, Joyce and Beckett as well as more contemporary writers like those above.
Whether you’ve been inspired during the pandemic to finally scratch that creative itch or you simply want to explore a pastime of a different kind, you can find workshops to combine striking scenery with lessons in how to pen the perfect poem or short story.
The Anam Cara Writer’s and Artist’s Retreat is one of the longest-established Irish retreats on the wild Beara Peninsula in
Co. Cork. It’s an all-inclusive residential haven, with private and common working rooms surrounded by gardens, meadows and rivers.
For those truly dedicated to perfect in their craft Ireland Writing Retreats in Co. Donegal offers lively week-long creative writing holidays that include historic excursions, food and drinks tastings, traditional music concerts, as well as day-to-day writing and editing workshops.
While stays were suspended due to Covid, the retreat launched its very own online writing competition the, Wild Atlantic Writing Awards, and one year on hundreds of writers have sent in their stories.
Its summer 2021 writing week is due to take place between June 21-27.
Much more than a backdrop, Ireland’s countryside, cityscapes and seascapes are important characters in the stories told by its literary luminaries.