Coole Park
Encyclopedia
Coole Park is a nature reserve of approximately 1000 acres (4 km²) operated by the Irish National Parks & Wildlife Service and is located a few miles west of Gort
, County Galway
, Ireland
. The park contains extensive woodlands and a series of turloughs
with 6 kilometres of signposted nature trails plus a formal walled garden. The park was formerly the estate of Lady Gregory before being sold to the Irish state in 1927.
The walled garden contains an autograph tree that is engraved with initials of many of the leading figures of the Irish Literary Revival
who were personal friends of Lady Gregory including William Butler Yeats
, Edward Martyn
, George Bernard Shaw
, John Millington Synge
and Sean O'Casey
. The Yeats
poem The Wild Swans at Coole
was inspired by the beauty of the swans in the turlough at Coole Park. Yeats also wrote "Coole Park, 1929", a poem that describes the park as a symbol for the revival of Irish literature.
Coole Park is part of the Coole-Garryland Complex Special Area of Conservation (site code SAC 252) and the whole of the park is designated a Special Protection Area for birds under the EU 1979 Birds Directive (site code SPA 107). The grounds are open to the public all year round and a visitor center operates during high season (April to September inclusive).
Gort
Gort is a town in south County Galway in the west of Ireland. An Gort is the official Irish name for the town, as defined by the Placenames Commission. In spoken Irish, however, the town is known by its traditional name Gort Inse Guaire. It lies just north of the border with County Clare on the...
, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The park contains extensive woodlands and a series of turloughs
Turlough (lake)
A turlough, or turlach, is a unique type of disappearing lake found mostly in limestone areas of Ireland, west of the River Shannon. The name comes from the Irish "tuar", meaning dry, with the suffix "lach", meaning a place . The "lach" suffix is often mistakenly spelled and/or thought to refer to...
with 6 kilometres of signposted nature trails plus a formal walled garden. The park was formerly the estate of Lady Gregory before being sold to the Irish state in 1927.
The walled garden contains an autograph tree that is engraved with initials of many of the leading figures of the Irish Literary Revival
Irish Literary Revival
The Irish Literary Revival was a flowering of Irish literary talent in the late 19th and early 20th century.-Forerunners:...
who were personal friends of Lady Gregory including William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
, Edward Martyn
Edward Martyn
Edward Martyn was an Irish political and cultural activist and playwright.-Early life:Martyn was the eldest son of John Martyn of Tullira and Annie Mary Josephine Smyth of Masonbrook, Loughrea, both in County Galway. He succeeded his father upon John's death in 1860...
, George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
, John Millington Synge
John Millington Synge
Edmund John Millington Synge was an Irish playwright, poet, prose writer, and collector of folklore. He was a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival and was one of the cofounders of the Abbey Theatre...
and Sean O'Casey
Seán O'Casey
Seán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.- Early life:...
. The Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
poem The Wild Swans at Coole
The Wild Swans at Coole
The Wild Swans at Coole is a collection of poems by William Butler Yeats, first published in 1917. It is also the name of a poem in that collection...
was inspired by the beauty of the swans in the turlough at Coole Park. Yeats also wrote "Coole Park, 1929", a poem that describes the park as a symbol for the revival of Irish literature.
Coole Park is part of the Coole-Garryland Complex Special Area of Conservation (site code SAC 252) and the whole of the park is designated a Special Protection Area for birds under the EU 1979 Birds Directive (site code SPA 107). The grounds are open to the public all year round and a visitor center operates during high season (April to September inclusive).
External links
- http://www.coolepark.ie
- http://www.nli.ie/yeats