Coole Park.

 The trees are in their autumn beauty,
     The woodland paths are dry,
     Under the October twilight the water
     mirrors a still sky

W.B. Yeats "Wild Swans at Coole"

Lady Augusta Gregory (dramatist), was co-founder, with Edward Martyn and W.B. Yeats, of the Abbey Theatre.The house was demolished in 1941, but the tree on which her guests carved their initials is still standing. On the tree the following initials are still visible, WBY (William Butler Yeats), GBS (George Bernard Shaw) and many others. Coole Park is now a nature reserve, and attractions include exhibitions, tea-rooms, nature trail walks, and a lake and turlough. There are two audio-visual presentations; "The Magic of Coole" and "Lady Gregory of Coole".

 

Coole Park which, together with the adjoining Garryland, is a Nature Reserve approximately 405 hectares (1000 acres). The seven woods celebrated by W.B. Yeats are part of the 6 kilometres of nature trails taking in woods, river, turlough, bare limestone and Coole lake. There are two trails to follow. "The Family Trail" is an easy 1.75 km walk, taking you past the deer pen, the site of the house and into the walled garden to see the Autograph Tree. The   4.5 km "Seven Woods Trail" connects the different woods made famous in poetry by W.B. Yeats. Depending on the season, you might   see bluebells and violets, jays and treecreepers, red squirrels and stoats, butterflies and dragonflies, or swans.