Fifty years ago, in 1965, on the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of W.B.Yeats, the Kiltartan Society hosted a seminar on the work of W.B. Yeats.

Speakers at this anniversary event included Yeats scholar T.R.Henn, Mary Hanley, and Tadgh Kelly, with the support of Yeats biographer A. Norman Jeffares and future George Yeats biographer Ann Saddlemyer. There were tours with the craftsmen who had originally worked on the tour, and further events in Irish about local poet Antoine O Rafteiri (Anthony Raftery), and musical performances featuring the poet’s daughter-in-law the Irish harpist Grainne Yeats. Seeing the calendar of events the chair of the Yeats Thoor Ballylee Society Senator Fidelma Healy Eames commented: ‘a beautiful leaflet and programme that is a stark reminder of the genius, imagination and depth of intent of our predecessors of 50 years ago’. She went on to suggest that the work and commitment of local people and international communities then and now concerning the tower is ‘inspirational’ and an inheritance for the present Yeats Thoor Ballylee Society to live up to. For more information on how you can help this ongoing work visit here.

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