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Kiltartan Gregory Museum.

Gort
attraction
Historical
Museums
Contact Information

The Kiltartan Gregory Museum and Millennium Park is located 3km outside Gort on the main Galway to Limerick road. This historic place, Kiltartan Cross, is where the blind poet Rafferty met and fell in love with the “Beauty of Ballylee” Márre ní hEidhie and where he often played music for local dances. The Kiltartan landscape also inspired, amongst others, Lady Gregory and W.B. Yeats. This building was originally a National School built in 1892 at the behest of the local landlord, Sir William Gregory of Coole Park, Gort. His brother-in-law and architect, Francis Persse incorporated ornamental features into the building, similar to those found in Ceylon where Sir William was a former Governor. The school closed in 1960 and following its restoration, was officially opened by the then Irish President, Mary Robinson in 1996. Today the old schoolhouse contains photographs, manuscripts, first editions, memorabilia, Great Famine material, a genealogy of local families and a reconstruction of an old school classroom from the 1900s.