| Coole Park estate was once the home of Lady | | | | turloughs (seasonal lakes or also called disappearing |
| Augusta Gregory who was pivotal to the Irish | | | | lakes) which are said to be the best examples of |
| literary revival and was co-founder of the Abbey | | | | turloughs in the world. The park is situated on a |
| Theatre. Coole House was a focal point for many | | | | low lying karst area of land and due to this the |
| meetings about Irish literature which were | | | | park has been designated a Special Area of |
| attended by George Bernard Shaw, J.M. Synge, | | | | Conservation. |
| Sean O Casey and William Butler Yeats. Coole | | | | As you stroll around Coole Park you'll see |
| Park was often referred to in stories and poems | | | | different types of animals and mammals in their |
| eg. W.B Yeats was so inspired by the beauty and | | | | natural environments. Coole Park is also an |
| tranquillity here that he wrote a poem called "The | | | | important sanctuary for birds especially winter |
| Wild Swans at Coole". | | | | waterfowl. |
| In 1927 the house and estate were sold to the | | | | At Coole Park you'll also find a very informative |
| state and the house was demolished, but today, | | | | and educational Visitor's Centre, which is well |
| visitors can still see the beauty of the estate, the | | | | worth a visit. Here you can see audio-visual |
| woods, the lakes, the nature trails, the walled | | | | presentations about Lady Gregory herself and |
| garden and lots more. Make sure you take a close | | | | you'll also see some exhibitions telling the story |
| look at the large Copper Beech tree in the walled | | | | and history of Coole Park. |
| garden, also known as the 'Autograph Tree' as it | | | | The park is open all year round and there is free |
| bears the initial of Yeats, Shaw, Synge, Douglas | | | | admission to the grounds, so it's a great day out |
| Hyde and of course, Lady Gregory's initials. | | | | for the family. There's also a restaurant on site if |
| Although the initials have become faint over the | | | | you want to enjoy a wide selection of traditional |
| years, you should still be able to see the etchings | | | | Irish dishes. For opening times check out the |
| with the help of the forest guide book. | | | | official Coole Park website. |
| The most unique features of Coole Park are the | | | | |