THOOR BALLYLEE, aka YEATS' TOWER
near Gort, County Galway

Thoor Ballylee Castle began its life as a de Burgo (Burke) built fortified tower. The Burke's had established themselves in Connaught after 1200. The original tower was most likely a timber built fortress, as Norman-built stone castles did not come into vogue until the 15th century. Thoor Ballylee Castle is set on the bank of the Cloon River near the market town of Gort.

In 1902 the castle became part of the nearby Coole Estate, home to Lady Augusta Gregory. Coole House became the center for meetings of this group, welcoming a great number of preeminent figures of the day, including John Millington Synge, William Butler Yeats, and the first President of Ireland Douglas Hyde.

Augusta considered William Butler Yeats as her closest friend so it was no surprise that they co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre, which became the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1903, employing most of their friends at the same time! This came on the heels of the foundation of the Irish Literary Revival , which they CO-founded with another friend, JM Synge

Because of their close relationship, it was rumored that Yeats was having an affair with the widow Gregory. However, Yeats had recently ended a tumultuous

relationship with Maud Gonne and was pursuing another relationship with George Hyde-Lees, whom friends called Georgie. Yeats was 52 at the time of their marriage in 1917, Georgie just three days after her 25th birthday. The couple met due to their shared interest in the occult. They had a successful marriage in spite of the age gap, and continued their interest in the supernatural, practicing what is known as Automatic Writing:

"Automatic writing is the process or product of writing material that does not come from the conscious thoughts of the writer. Practitioners say that the writer's hand forms the message, with the person being unaware of what will be written. In some cases, it is done by people in a trance state. In others, the writer is aware (not in a trance) of their surroundings but not of the actions of their writing hand."

Not long after their marriage, Yeats purchased Thoor Ballylee Castle from Augusta Gregory for the sum of £35, about £17,300 in toady's money, and spent the next two years restoring the keep from its derelict state. Upon its completion, Yeats mounted a dedication plaque to the castle, which survives today. It reads:

I, the poet William Yeats,
With old mill boards and sea-green slates,
And smithy work from the Gort forge,
Restored this tower for my wife George;
And may these characters remain
When all is ruin once again.

Yeats had an affinity for the Irish language and renamed the castle Túr Ballylee (pronounced toor), though often simply called The Tower, or even Yeats' Tower. In fact, Yeats was residing in the castle when he was inspired to write the infamous poem, The Tower, which was published in 1928 along with a collection of other poems in a book also called The Tower.

Beside the castle once stood two thatch cottages but only one exists today, the one attached to the castle which serves as the visitors center. There is a wonderful audio/visual theater here where some of Yeats' works are read. The tower is open as well. Fans of Yeats will reflect on the spiral steps that he wrote about, which lead to the battlements. Views from the top of the castle include surrounding countryside and the woodland at Coole Park.

~ Free car parking available
~ limited access within the castle

http://www.gortonline.com/TouristGuide/PlacesofInterest/ThoorBallylee/Thoor+Ballylee.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Butler_Yeats