Gregory: The Kiltartan Wonder Book

Lady Augusta Gregory

A photograph of Lady Augusta Gregory of Coole Park. She was a writer and also a patron to many young Irish writers at the turn of the 20th century. Image taken from Gregory's Our Irish Theatre, 1913.

Lady Augusta Gregory

Lady Augusta Gregory

A photograph of Lady Augusta Gregory of Coole Park. She was a writer and also a patron to many young Irish writers at the turn of the 20th century. Image taken from Gregory's Our Irish Theatre, 1913.

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Gregory, Augusta (1852 – 1932)

Augusta Persse was born in 1852 at Roxborough House in County Galway.  She married Sir William Gregory in 1880 and lived in Coole Park near Gort until her death there in 1932.  Her son, Robert, was born in 1881 and in the following year her husband died.  Her son died during the Great War and his death is immortalised in WB Yeats’ poem An Irish airman foresees his death.

Lady Gregory was a writer, a folklorist, a traveller, an actress, and a friend and supporter of many of the great writers of the period.  WB Yeats was a frequent visitor to Coole Park and together with Edward Martyn, they worked towards the founding of a national theatre which became the Abbey Theatre.  She involved herself in all aspects of the theatre; writing plays, acting, directing and especially supporting playwrights including JM Synge, Sean O’Casey and Lennox Robinson.

She collected stories and folklore of Ireland and wrote about them in her books and plays.  She also wrote for children.  The Kiltartan Wonder Book was written in 1910 and illustrated by her daughter-in-law, Margaret.

The Kiltartan Wonder Book by Lady Gregory; illustrated by Margaret Gregory.  Dublin, Maunsel & Co. Ltd