A Literary Treat enjoyed by Kildare RTAI
Stephanie Bergin
Our next place of interest and the final angle in the East Galway Literary Triangle was the infamous Coole Park, home of Lady Gregory and eulogised in the well-known poem recited in many classes , ‘The Wild Swans at Coole’. The poem was set in autumn, but even during this summer marred by constant rainfall, we strolled along the paths as Yeats mentioned in the poem ‘The woodland paths are dry’.
Once again , we were treated to a very informative presentation and guided tour conducted by NPWS Guide Brigid. We viewed the remains of Lady Gregory’s House , perimeter walls as it unfortunately had been demolished in 1948. The social and sporting activities on the main lawns including lively cricket matches during the lifetime of Lady Gregory were vividly outlined by our guide Brigid.
We strolled down the leafy paths surrounded by many different plants and towering trees in this one thousand acre parkland. The Autograph Tree was of particular interest with many Irish literary figures, having received permission by the custodian of this natural paradise Lady Gregory, to carve their initials and live on in the minds of future generations. WB Yeats poetry echoed around as the group enjoyed the scenic walks which surely inspired the creative and enduring works of this renowned poet, an integral figure who contributed to our literary culture.
Having satisfied our creative and literary appetite, the well exercised group travelled to Durty Nelly’s Restaurant in the shadow of Bunratty Castle to relax after an action-packed day. A very appropriate place to end a day of literary and historical value! It was a warm, sunny evening and we all enjoyed a delicious dinner accompanied by a few beverages and a chat trading the highlights of our day. We eventually arrived back in Naas , later than scheduled, but this was testament to a very enjoyable trip and many thanks to Glasheen Bushire for providing very comfortable transport and Sas , our bus driver who was very professional and shared some interesting information regarding places of interest on route .
On behalf of all her fellow members of Kildare RTAI , particularly those who explored the East Galway Literary Trail recently, I would like to convey a ‘ Míle Buíochas to Rena for all her effort in the organisation of a very interesting trip. Let us remember the day in the words of Yeats in verse 1 of his poem ‘ Coole and Ballylee’
‘ Under my window- ledge the waters race ,
Otters below and moor-hens on the top.
Run for a mile undimmed in Heaven’s face
Then darkening through Raftery’s cellar drop,
Run underground, rise in a rocky place, In Coole demesne, and there to finish up
Spread to a lake and drop into a hole. What’s water but the generated soul?’
Thank you also to Sas, the driver and a fountain of knowledge! We are all looking forward to the next outing!!