Lissadell House

Frommer's Review

On the shores of Sligo Bay, this impressive neoclassical building was another of Yeats's favorite haunts. Dating from 1830, it was long the home of the Gore-Booth family, including Yeats's friends Eva Gore-Booth, a fellow poet, and her sister Constance, who became the Countess Markievicz after marrying a Polish count. She took part in the 1916 Irish Rising and was the first woman elected to the British House of Commons and the first woman cabinet member in the Irish Dáil. The house has recently been purchased by a wealthy young family with seven children who are restoring the building and the grounds into a home as well as a museum. The work may impact your visit, depending upon where you come, although the owners have vowed they'll be sympathetic to visitors' needs, and, ultimately, their efforts will restore the structure and the grounds to their long-lost glory. They've already begun by restoring and framing pictures by and of Yeats, Constance, and others of their group. The house is filled with period antiques and artworks, and the relaxing tearoom restores you with fresh-baked goods and hot beverages.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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