Coole Park

County Galway

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Once home of Lady Augusta Gregory, cofounder of Dublin's Abbey Theatre and a patron of WB Yeats, the house here was demolished by bureaucrats in 1941. Today, displays recall its literary legacy and the present-day nature reserve is a beautiful place to stroll. Look for the autograph tree, on which many of Lady Gregory's literary guests carved their initials. It's around 4km northwest of Gort. There's a visitor centre (open from June to October) and a tearoom (open mid-April to mid-September).

More exhibits on Lady Gregory are displayed at the nearby Kiltartan Gregory Museum.

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