Kiltartan Museum: Lady Gregory, Yeats and Raftery.

Kiltartan Gregory Museum is a former National School built in 1892 at the behest of the local landlord, Sir William Gregory of Coole Park, Gort. The Museum is Largely devoted to the works of Lady Gregory (1852 – 1932), widow of Sir William. During her time there, Coole became the meeting place for writers, chief of whom was W.B. Yeats who later bought Thoor Ballylee, artists, actors, statesmen, irish language enthusiasts, folklorists and  traveling musicians.

Antoine Raifteirí was a nineteenth century poet whose lyrics in Irish were translated into English by both Lady Gregory and Douglas Hyde (the first president of Ireland) who later published them. Ó Raifteirí died at the house of Diarmuid Cloonan of Killeeneen, near Craughwell, County Galway, and was buried in nearby Killeeneen Cemetery. In 1900, Lady Gregory, Edward Martyn, and W.B. Yeats erected a memorial stone over his grave, bearing the inscription “RAFTERY”. A statue of him stands in the village green, Craughwell.