Celebrating Yeats 2015

A major exhibition at NUI Galway was part of the worldwide Yeats 2015 series of cultural events marking the 150th birthday of W.B. Yeats. The University’s Moore Institute and Hardiman Library presented ‘Yeats & the West’, an exhibition exploring Yeats’ life, work, legacy and deep connections to the west of Ireland.

Rare artworks, books, original documents and exclusive film clips feature in the interactive exhibition, which continues until the end of the year.

Items on display reflect W.B. Yeats’ attention to life, love, and landscape in Galway, Sligo, and beyond. ‘Yeats & the West’ details the many artistic collaborations between artists inspired by the western world, which centred on Coole Park.

The exhibition follows the foundation of the Abbey Theatre in Galway and Yeats’ work with J.M. Synge, George Moore and Edward Martyn, using exclusive materials from NUI Galway’s Lady Gregory Collection, the Abbey Theatre Digital Archive and the Lyric Theatre Belfast archive. It explores his interest in local poet Antoine Ó Raifteirí, and highlights the gifted artists of Yeats’ own family, whose pioneering work is showcased in exquisite handprinted books and in embroidery from Loughrea’s St. Brendan’s Cathedral.

Original watercolour sketches and oils by W.B. Yeats’ brother, the celebrated artist, Jack B. Yeats, also feature.