This article is from page 22 of the 2005-11-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 22 JPG
THE major new book commemorating the life of Gort’s most celebrated daughter, Lady Augusta Gregory, was launched last week in the Limerick City Library.
‘Lady Gregory: an Irish Life’ is written by Limerick scholar Judith Hill and is an attempt to look beyond the great name of Lady Augusta Gregory, and examine the woman in the context of her time and what surrounded her.
Although she gained her reputation as a patron, playwright and campaigner, behind the fame Lady Gregory was a wife, moth- er, lover, friend, confidante, ally and the chatelaine of Coole Park.
Long overshadowed by the writers she influenced and with whom she collaborated Lady Gregory was also the co-founder of
the Abbey Theatre and a key figure of the Irish Literary Revival.
She herself wrote 42 plays, a well as a bi- ography and countless essays, poems and journals. She was also a celebrated transla- tor of Irish legends.
In this book Judith Hill attempts to get behind the image of a stiff and unapproach- able aristocrat and reveal a woman whose qualities would mark her out in any age; a woman of intelligence, carefully concealed ambition, great passion and vulnerability.
Judith Hill is an architectural historian and writer.
She has written two previous books; “The Building of Limerick’ and ‘Irish Public Sculpture: A History.’
‘Lady Gregory: an Irish Life’ is available in hardback from Sutton Books at a cost of €30.