Come gather at Coole

THE Lady Gregory Autumn Gathering celebrates its 18th birthday in Coole Park on the last weekend of September.

Recognising the remarkable influence of Lady Augusta Gregory on the development of Irish Theatre and Literature, the festival includes lectures, discussions, readings and social events. There will also be guided tours of the woodland walks.

Translator of Irish legends and folklore, writer of comedies and fantasies, co-founder of the Abbey Theatre, and lifelong patron of William Butler Yeats, Lady Gregory was active in many artistic areas.
Geoffrey O’Byrne White, great-grandnephew of Lady Gregory, will formally open the Gathering on Friday night, September 28.

Colin Smythe, renowned publisher of Sir Terry Pratchett and collector of the works of WB Yeats and Lady Gregory, will deliver the opening address. 

Although Lady Gregory’s stunning home at Coole Park is no longer standing, several other buildings remain and the area has been developed as a nature reserve and boasts a well-designed interpretative centre. Within its historic walled garden sits the famous Autograph Tree where world-renowned authors such as Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Sean O’Casey, John Millington Synge and George Moore, carved their initials, marking Coole Park as the centre of the Irish Literary Revival in the early 20th century.

Speakers will present a wide-ranging perspective on Lady Gregory and her legacy. Professor James Pethica, contemporary Irish and British literature at Williams College, Massachusetts and director of the Yeats Summer School in Sligo will speak on the demise of Lady Gregory and her estate.

Dr Lucy McDiarmuid, Marie Frazee-Baldassarre, professor of English at Montclair State University, New Jersey, will speak on Lady Gregory’s secret poetry.

Anne Fogarty, professor of James Joyce Studies and head of the UCD School of English, Drama and Film, will deliver her talk It’s well I brought my golden dress: Revising the Gráinne epic.

Kiltartan in 1911: A study of people and living conditions from the 1911 Census will be the subject of the contribution from Catriona Crowe, head of special projects at the National Archives of Ireland and manager of the Irish Census Online Project. John Quinn, celebrated author, TV and radio producer, will present A letter to Lady Gregory – presenting voices from the past, an audio experience.

Participants can continue to enjoy the open forum discussion, plus entertainment and the candlelit dinner on Saturday.