COOLE PARK
Gort, County Galway

Coole House was more than just a Georgian era country home to Lady Augusta Gregory. After the death of her beloved husband, one Augusta mourned for the rest of her life, the estate became the center for the Irish Literary Revival in the early 20th century. The estate saw visits from many of Ireland's preeminent writers and artists of the time, such as Sean O'Casey, John Millington Synge, first President of Ireland Douglas Hyde and WB Yeats, who were all members of this revival. It was Yeats who eventually bought Ballylee Castle to use as a summer retreat. And it was with Yeats that Augusta founded the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1903, along with JM Synge.

While Coole House was destroyed in the 1950's, something the Irish State has since regretted, the park still exists as part of the National Parks system and is open to the

public as Coole Park. Visitors can stroll through the estate, which retains much of the same atmosphere as it did during Lady Gregory's time.

First time visitors are encouraged to start at the interpretive center (located at the entrance to the estate in the old stables) where a guided tour will lead you through the history of the estate and the importance of the ILR. Examples of the works of these famous visitors are on display.

Some of the areas of the estate worth visiting include the woodland walks, Coole Lake, the walled garden, the site of the original house, and of course the interpretive center.

Visitors can follow in the footsteps of some of Ireland's preeminent personalities as they wind their way to the famous Autograph Tree, a giant Copper Beech in the walled garden, and stand in the same spot as Shaw, Yeats, Synge and O'Casey stood while scrawling their initials. The tree is now surrounded by a 10 foot high iron railing topped with barbed wire for the preservation of this part of our Irish heritage. Even though some of these initials are 100 years old or more many can still be seen --

1. Theodore Spicer Simson - artist
2. George Bernard Shaw - dramatist
3. John Masefield - Poet
4. Countess of Cromartie (Sibel Lilian Mackenzie)
5. Augustus John - artist
6. Elinor Monsell - artist (designed the Abbey Theatre logo)
7. Douglas Hyde - first President of Ireland
8. Augusta Lady Gregory - playwright/cofounder Abbey Theatre
9. William Robert Gregory - son of Lady Gregory
10. William Butler Yeats - poet/cofounder Abbey Theatre
11. Sean O'Casey - playwright
12. John Millington Synge - playwright
13. Violet Martin "Ross" - writer
14. George W. Russell - poet, writer, theologian
15. Jack B Yeats - artist and writer, brother of WB Yeats

Other signatures include George Moore, Sara Allwood, Lennox Robinson, Lady Margaret Sackville, and others.

~ Free car parking available
~ mostly accessible, some unpaved paths requiring wheelchair assistance

http://www.coolepark.ie