Friends of Coole

A review of the Coole Park Cultural Programme, the biannual series of cultural and educational activities delivered by the Friends of Coole, is currently being conducted to ensure the future development of this five-year old pilot project, and to inform planning of new Programmes. Members of the public are now being surveyed in response to the series of Spring and Winter Cultural Programmes delivered by the Friends of Coole annually since 2005.

To download the survey, please click here. To complete the survey, save it to your computer, fill it in, save it again and then email it to info@meehantully.com

Presented by the Friends of Coole in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, their most recent programme, the Coole Park Spring 2010 Cultural Programme, was the last of the series funded under the original pilot project Programme. It incorporated a wide range of activities and events including, for example, both indoor and outdoor activities for primary school children, outreach workshops, weekly lectures, musical evenings and family activities, all of which were open to the public free of charge. A voluntary group “dedicated to celebrating and continuing the creative influence of Lady Gregory and her contribution to Irish cultural life”, the Friends of Coole have, from their founding in 1994, worked to establish a cultural and heritage education centre at Coole Park. A pilot project, the Coole Park Cultural Programme, was initiated by the Friends in June 2005 with the support of the National Parks and Wildlife Services and ? . The primary purpose of this project was to provide high quality, multi-disciplinary arts and heritage events annually, in both Spring and Winter Programmes, at Coole Park, Gort, County Galway. Once the home of dramatist, folklorist and co-founder of the Abbey Theatre Augusta, Lady Gregory, Coole Park is now part of a 1000 acres Nature Reserve which is managed by the National Parks & Wildlife Service. The house, which no longer stands, was an important focal point for the Irish Literary Revival of the early 20th century as Lady Gregory hosted many of those associated with the revival including William Butler Yeats, John Millington Synge and George Bernard Shaw, amongst others

For further information regarding the Survey, the Coole Park Cultural Programme, or the Friends of Coole, please contact Mark or Michael at info@meehantully.com

This project has been part-funded by Galway Rural development company under the NRDP programme.