IRISH PLAYWRIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 122, 25 May 1932, Page 7

IRISH PLAYWRIGHT.

DEATH OF LADY GREGORY. • LONDON, May 24. The death occurred at Galway yesterday of Lady Gregory, playwright and director of the well-known Abbey Theatre, Dublin, aged 80. It was Lady Gregory wlio gave to the dreams and aspirations of W. B. Yeats and Edward Martyn for the creation of a literary theatre, the practical shape which they seemed unab e to give to them themselves. She suggested the start of a literary theatre in Ireland, as it was she who secured the interests of her very large and influential circle of friends uua acquaintances for the project Her husband, Sir William Gregory, had been an important official of the British Government as a colonial Governor, and in this way Lady Gregory became associated intimately with the higher branches of the British political and diplomatic services, and with the literary and artistic society of London. » was in this clc th le first met th» young poet W. B. Yeats, and it was I*W deep interest in his wm'k, particularly tok verse plays, that brought Lady Gregory f ito the theatre, where she was destined to become such a force and such a leading personality. A prolific writer, she made valuable contributions to Irish literature lheso took the form of plays, volumes on folk lore, and versions ot ancient sagas and romances relating to early Irish heroes. Cuchulain, the greatest hero of preChristian Ireland, became fa"" 1 '" thousands of people through her fine settings of the ancient tales, as did I inn MacCoull and other legendary chaiacters. Lady Gregory, as director of the Abbey Theatre, in association with Mr. W. B. Yeats, did splendid work for the Irish drama. The theatre was opened in 190*, and since then well over 100 plays by modern Irish and other writers have been produced there, including a Lady Gregory herself. In addition hundreds of actors had their first elisfcc© there, and some of them have since become famous on the English stage.