http://www.gortonline.com/coolepark/index.asp
http://www.monasette.com/blog/gallery/coolepark/pages/7%20coole.htm
Pictures of "The Autograph Tree" at Coole Park, Gort, Co.Galway, Ireland.
http://www.travelireland.org/galway/attractions/coole-park.html
"Coole Park in Gort County Galway is the former home of Lady Gregory -
founder and director of The Abbey Theatre, Ireland's National Theatre,
and friend of William Butler Yeats - poet and fellow director of The
Abbey.
The house no longer stands, but the estate is now a wildlife park. The
garden of the house, with its yew walk and autograph tree, is still
preserved. Signatures carved on the autograph tree include those of
John Masefield, George Bernard Shaw, Sean O'Casey, John Millington
Synge and Douglas Hyde, Ireland's first president."
http://www.irelandwest.ie/detail.asp?memberID=12385
"The Autograph Tree is located in Coole Park near Gort. They are all
dead now, of course, these literary giants who were involved in the
Celtic Revival at the start of the 19th century. Yet, their spirits
still inhabit this special tree among the silent woods. Although Coole
House, where they stayed and shared their dreams with Lady Augusta
Gregory, is no more, the famous 'Autograph Tree' lives on. For this
great copper beach, on which Lady Gregory, dramatist and folklorist,
invited her literary guests to carve their initials, is now the centre
of attraction of the great walled garden in the Nature Trail at Coole
Woods. The initials gently fade with passing time now, but with a
little effort (and help from the Forest Guide Book), one can still
discern the flamboyant style of George Bernard Shaw among the more
cryptic carvings of J. M. Synge, Augustus John, An Craoibhín
Aoibhinn(Douglas Hyde, first President of Ireland) A.E. (G.W.
Russell), W.B. Yeats, Sean O'Casey, as well as those of Lady Gregory
and her husband, Robert."
http://www.all-ireland.com/attractions/c/coole-park.htm
This webpage gives a photo of the carvings together with a list of names. |
