Hollywood star’s tribute to old Galway friend

The star of The Addams Family and Prizzi’s Honor, for which she won an Oscar, recounted it was Paddy who taught her to ride her pony ‘Honeymoon’ at the age of three when he set up the stables for her father, actor and director John Houston upon the family’s move to Craughwell.

In her appreciation, Anjelica said: “Paddy took me out on my first hunt at thirteen-years-old, and watched me as I was presented with the (fox’s) brush by the Master of Hounds, Paddy Pickersgill.

“Paddy drove my brother Tony and I, along with his kids, Patsy and Mary, to every local horseshow and gymkhana in the county throughout the long summers. Even when I didn’t win a rosette, a word of approval from Paddy would make me glow with pride. I think I was a favourite of his.”

The award-winning actress said she immensely proud to watch Paddy win the championship stonewall competition on her mother’s gelding, Errigal, bringing “home the big silver cup to St. Cleran’s”.

And I watched him proudly when he won the championship stonewall competition on my mother’s gelding, Errigal, and brought home the big silver cup to St. Cleran’s.

“Paddy had a great eye for horses,” she continued. “He and my father got along famously, and often went out on drives into the countryside with Betty O’Kelly to spot horses grazing on the hills, some of which they acquired and proved later to be champions.

“I remember Paddy in his kitchen, playing the accordion and singing in a lovely tenor voice, but I remember him most fondly in the horsebox, driving us home from hunting or a gymkhana, stopping to buy us fruit and ice cream, and we kids begging him to sing encores to our favourite song.

“The last time I saw Paddy, six years ago, he sang me that song. Now the angels are begging him for an encore. God Bless you Paddy and so much love,” she concluded in her moving tribute.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.