Day 1 Continued...along the Yeats-Lady Gregory trail

My country is Kiltartan Cross,
  My countrymen Kiltartan's poor

~ from An Irish Airman Foresees His Death* by W. B. Yeats

Yeats' key to the Nut Wood in the Gregory estate of Coole Park.

KILTARTAN CROSS

After our stop at Thoor Ballylee, we knew we must go to Kiltartan Cross and visit Rena McAllan again. We found her at the Kiltartan Gregory Museum.** Ms. McAllan was full of knowledge about Yeats and the Gregory Family. The museum at Kiltartan Cross is located in the former national school building,  school Ms. McAllan attended as a child.

In one of the rooms a period school room has been recreated and includes documentation that a former student was one of the steelworkers in the famous photo, Lunch Atop a Skyscraper. The first man from the left in the photo is reported to be Martin Shaughnessy and a copy of a the photo and one of Martin's school records are displayed.

Classroom

Perhaps one of my favorite items in the museum is Yeats' personal key to the Nut Wood at Coole Park, the Gregory estate. Yeats regularly made the walk from his tower to Coole Park, often walking down a boreen (small local lane) as a shortcut rather than taking the main road.  We walked in the Nut Woods on a prior visit to Coole Park, but time and energy would not allow a long walk today.

After all too short a visit (We loved our chat with Ms. McAllen and wish we could have stayed longer. She is full of information and tales of the area.) we continued on to Coole Park.

COOLE PARK****

The manor house is gone now. It had been given to the Ireland and finances did not allow for its upkeep. Eventually the house was raised and all remains is the dovecote and some out buildings. But the formal gardens are there as are the woods, turlough (pronounced "turlock,"  a seasonal lake*****), pet cemetery, catalpa tree as well as a visitor center with displays and video and a tea room.

One immediatly appreciates why Coole Park  is so special. The woods are magical.

A small gate near the formal garden.

It was the season for wild aster-like flowers (I will look them up later). They were like snowflakes on the ground almost everywhere we traveled.

See, not pesky daisies. The bloom is just the size of the clover  growing nearby.

A small rock stairs just off the main path.

The formal garden was not in full bloom, but there were some interesting flowers.

One can see there was need for weeding.

Pale pink fuschia

These spires were starting to bloom

It will be stunning when they all bloom.

Here are those pesky daisies, misbehaving as they often do.

The tree specimens are amazing, but many come to see the autograph tree****** (the large tree to the right).

I have diligently used the guide and tried to read the autographs here. Some can almost be "made out." I suppose it is enough to know they were here, present in this place and that there was this place for them to share  - Shaw, Yeats, Synge, O'Casey, and so many more.

Autographs

More autographs

We sheltered under an oak - some trees I know.

And I have a catalpa in my front yard. There is a famous photograph of Lady Gregory under a catalpa tree. Her granddaughters planted a tree here and this is one of many replacements.

I do believe this was a freesia about to bloom

A purple sage.

The sun was high and we had one more stop.

A photo of the house at Coole Park

Ruins of the stables and dovecote

We have spent more time at Coole Park in the past (2014) and we would have on this day, but I was fading - a head cold was taking hold. We knew we wanted to make one more stop in the area before moving along on our journey.

Should you plan a trip to Coole Park, allow at least a day. Eat at the tea room, bring snacks for a hike, and wander the woods. Better yet, plan a stay of a day or two to allow you time to enjoy.

I can see why this place was so loved and is so loved today. Locals can be seen walking their children and pets along the paths. It is a magical place.

Map of Coole Park paths. I was too tired to even do the shortest of walks.

An explanation of some of the creatures and the turlough.

KILMACDUAGH*******

Certainly worth a visit is this site of monastic ruins called "the seven churches" locally. I have provided a link should you choose to look up the history of the place (perhaps going as far back as the 7th century).

We came to see the round tower - reportedly the tallest complete one in Ireland and certainly famous for its "lean" - some half meter from vertical. DH did not want to get anywhere near it, but we did wander the site a bit and made friends with the cows.

The expert consensus is that each ruin is not that of a church. Still, the name the Seven Churches has stuck. Rena McAllen called the round tower it "our Tower of Pisa."

At many historic sites guides and locals have talked about how "it was used as a cow shed" or something similar. Well, here we found a herd of cows grazing away. this part of the complex appeared to be well locked (and there was a sign directing interested parties to the person with the key). We just skipped this particular building.

One way through the walls. People fit, but the cows do not.

The site is split by a road. I believe this was the "way up" on the south side of the site. Again, I don't think the cows could make it.

The countryside beyond the ruins was beautiful.

Don't you love this face? This cow came over to see what we were doing.

The helpful map at the car park.

Closeup of map

NOTES:

* Written about Major William Robert Gregory, the only son of Sir William Henry Gregory and his wife Augusta, Lady Gregory (she, a major mover in the Irish Literary Revival). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gregory_(cricketer)

**http://www.gortonline.com/gregorymuseum/

***https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunch_atop_a_Skyscraper

****https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coole_Park

*****https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turlough_(lake)

******http://www.discoverireland.ie/Activities-Adventure/the-autograph-tree/12385

*******https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilmacduagh_monastery also see http://www.megalithicireland.com/Kilmacduagh%20Round%20Tower,%20Galway.html