THOOR BALLYLEE (YEATS' TOWER)
near Gort, County Galway


Thoor Ballylee

Thoor Ballylee began its life as a de Burgo (Burke) built fortified tower on the banks of the Cloon River near the market town of Gort. In 1902 the castle became part of the nearby Coole Estate, home to Lady Augusta Gregory.

Augusta's closest friend was William Butler Yeats, who founded the Irish Literary Revival. Coole House became the center for meetings of this group, the house welcoming a great number of preeminent figures of the day, including JM Synge, Jack B Yeats, and the first President of Ireland Douglas Hyde. It was during this time that Yeats and Augusta co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre, which became the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, employing most of their friends at the same time!

Because of their close relationship, it was rumored that Yeats was having an affair with the widow Gregory. However, Yeats married Georgie Hyde-Lee in 1916, and after purchasing the tower in that same year from Augusta, Yeats had a dedication placard mounted to the castle, which survives today. It reads -

I, the poet William Yeats,
With old mill boards and sea-green slates,
And smithy work from the Gort forge,
Restored this tower for my wife George;
And may these characters remain
When all is ruin once again.

Yeats loved the Irish language and in support of his affinity for the Irish language he renamed the castle Túr Ballylee (pronounced toor), which was Anglicized later as Thoor Ballylee, often simply been called The Tower by family and friends.

The Yeats' would spend their summers between 1916 and 1923 in this tower, where he found most of his later inspiration. The Tower, as he referred to it, was the inspiration behind man of his poems.

Cottage at Thoor Ballylee


The Quiet Man

Beside the castle once stood two thatch cottages but only one exists today, the one attached to the castle which serves as the visitors center. There is a wonderful audio/visual theater here where some of Yeats' works are read. The tower is open as well. Fans of Yeats will reflect on the spiral steps that he wrote about as they make their way to the battlements. Views from the top of the castle include surrounding countryside and the woodland at Coole Park.

Film buffs will also recognize this as one of the filming locations for The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. This was the scene where Sean and Kate were running away from the matchmaker and Kate stopped to boldly remove her stockings before racing across the water. Sean threw caution to the wind and just ran after her, his expansive shoes be damned!