Lady Augusta Gregory

Cuchulain of Muirthemne Lady Augusta Gregory

Lady Augusta Gregory (15 March 1852 ? 22 May 1932), was an Irish dramatist and folklorist. With William Butler Yeats and Edward Martyn, she co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre and the Abbey Theatre, and wrote numerous short works for both companies. Lady Gregory produced a number of books of retellings of stories taken from Irish mythology. Born into a class that was identified closely with British rule, her interest in the language and the legends of the local area was fostered early in her life by her nanny. After the death of her husband, her interest in the language and folklore was re-ignited. Lady Gregory is mainly remembered for her work behind the Irish Literary Revival. Many of the diaries and journals she kept for most of her adult life have been published, providing a rich source of information on Irish literary history during the first three decades of the 20th century. Cuchulainn is an Irish mythical hero. His exploits are retold in a series of stories known as the ?Ulster Cycle?.