Etched in the bark of the old beech are the names of Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, John Millington Synge and Sean O' Casey among many others.
Coole Park, outside Gort, Co Galway was once the hub of the 20th Century Irish literary revival and the home of Lady Augusta Gregory, dramatist, folklorist and co-founder of the Abbey Theatre. You can just imagine the parties.
With the house no longer standing, it is now the Coole-Garryland nature reserve. With 6 km of tracks and trails to explore, it’s a fantastic way to escape from the city rush and tumble.
It is a place to spend some quality time amidst the trees and parkland, with woods, river, turlough, bare limestone and lake. A highlight is the autograph tree - a towering testament to its literary past.
At Coole Park, you can choose between ‘the family trail’ - an easy 1.75 km walk, taking you past the site of the old house and into the walled garden.
There is also the 4.5 km ‘seven woods trail’ connecting the different woods made famous by the words of WB Yeats.
The trail has the darkness of a woodland path, with giant trees looming overhead. Through the clearing, the edges of Coole lake come into view, where we sat, and took in our surroundings.
I managed to get lost, so am not sure which trail I was actually on. But there is a joy in losing your way and finding the hidden treasures of the park.
A visitor centre gives a voice to 'Me and Nu' - granddaughters of Lady Gregory - as they weave the tales of old.
Entrance to the park is free and it is well worth a visit - where we may find the ‘wild swans at Coole’.
