Mary Hanley 1914-1979 was the founder of the Kiltartan

Kiltartan

Kiltartan is a barony in County Galway, Ireland. It was formerly known as Cenél Áeda na hEchtge. It was the home of Lady Gregory, Edward Martyn, and a regular residence of W.B. Yeats.It is alluded to in Yeats's poem An Irish Airman Foresees His Death....

 Society.

A native of Carron

Carron

Carron may refer to :Rivers:* River Carron , a river in Central Scotland* River Carron, Wester Ross* River Carron, Sutherland* Carron Water, Aberdeenshire, a river that flows into the North Sea in Stonehaven...

, County Clare

County Clare

-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...

, Hanley founded the society in 1961 to foster interest in the literary history of the districk, especially that of Lady Gregory, 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...

 and W.B. Yeats. She was responsible for the restoration of Thoor Ballylee

Thoor Ballylee

Thoor Ballylee Castle, a fortified, 13th century, Norman tower built by the septs de Burgo, or Burke, lies in County Galway near the town of Gort located off the Galway-Ennis road. With four floors, the tower consists of one room on each floor that is connected by a spiral stone stairway built into...

 (with the aid of Bord Failte and the Yeats family) and persuaded Padraic Colum

Padraic Colum

Padraic Colum was an Irish poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer, playwright, children's author and collector of folklore. He was one of the leading figures of the Celtic Revival.-Early life:...

 to open it on Sunday 20 June 1965, the centenary of Yeats’s birth. She was buried in Kilmacduagh

Kilmacduagh

Kilmacduagh is a small village in south County Galway, near Gort, in Ireland. It is best known for Kilmacduagh monastery, seat of the Diocese of that name. The diocese is now part of the Diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe in...

.