Welcome to Yeats Society Sligo

Celebrating the life and works of WB Yeats and his talented family.

Attend Yeats International Summer School
Visit the Poetic Mind of WB Yeats Exhibition
What’s On at the Yeats Building
Opening Hours

12th – 15th June 2025

Join us for the 14th Yeats Day Festival!

View the programme of events happening over the weekend and don’t forget to record your Yeats poem and sharing it on social media, using the hashtag #yeatsday and tagging Yeats Society Sligo.

See events!

What’s On

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Yeats Day Festival

The Yeats Day Festival will take place 12th to 15th June 2025
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Intertwined

An exhibition of work by Caroline Walshe, Hyde Bridge Gallery, 5th - 26th April.
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The Yeats Building

The Yeats Building in the heart of Sligo is a hub for literary culture and the arts.

We have a permanent Yeats exhibition and the Hyde Bridge Gallery on the first floor offers a range of contemporary exhibitions. In 2024, we will offer the 65th Yeats International Summer School – the longest-running literary summer school in the world.

Visit Us

The Poetic Mind of WB Yeats exhibition is open to visitors from 11.00am to 3.00pm, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. If we have to close at other times, we will give as much notice as possible on our website and social media.

Book Tickets Find out more

Yeats International Summer School

The 66th Yeats International Summer School will take place on July 23 – August 1 2025. This engaging event integrates an academic programme of lectures and seminars with poetry, tours, music, readings and cultural events.

Find out more Download Programme Pay Tuition Fees

Hyde Bridge Gallery

Hyde Bridge Gallery is open to visitors from 10.00am to 3.00pm, Tuesdays to Saturdays. It welcomes new and established artists. Entry to the gallery is free and all exhibited artworks are are available for purchase.

About Hyde Bridge Gallery Current Exhibition

Weddings and Venue Hire

The original Edwardian banking hall is the perfect venue for an intimate wedding ceremony. The Yeats Building is also available to hire for cultural events and public meetings.

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Explore Our Tours & Experiences

All of our Tours & Experiences can tailored to individuals, small or large groups.

Tours

Our tours stand out because of the personal touch of our guides who are knowledgeable and able to connect with visitors.

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Yeats afternoon tea with sandwiches, pastries and cakes

Poetry Afternoon Tea

Your choice of poetry, melt in the mouth sandwiches, fresh home-made sponge cake, apple tartlets, scones, served with a choice of teas (we can make coffee too).

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The Library Experience

Book our beautiful cosy library for a brainstorm session, a confidential meeting, hosting interviews, practising a speech, a board meeting, online call, a workshop.

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Our News

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The Hyde Bridge Gallery invites proposals for the 2025 Exhibition Programme

Application Deadline Date November Monday 18th
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Olympic Games Centenary Event

Saturday 27th July 2024
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“Smiling public man” event in the Seanad Chamber

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Celebrating the Centenary of WB Yeats’ Nobel Prize

As part of the official Decade of Centenaries, local libraries across Ireland will share the news, and the story.
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Exhibition Open Call

The closing date for applications is Monday 4th December 2023
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The Nora Niland lecture 2023

The Nora Niland lecture is hosted annually by Yeats Society Sligo as part of the Yeats Day celebrations, on the poet's birthday, June 13th.
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Purgatory by WB Yeats

Yeats Society Sligo would like to thank the crew and cast of Purgatory for the great performance at the Old Rectory on September 2023.
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Sara Berkeley Wins Inaugural Yeats Society Poetry Prize for The Last Cold Day

The winner of the inaugural Poetry Prize was announced at the opening of this year’s Yeats International Summer School on Thursday July 27th July.
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Centenary of the award of the Nobel Prize in Literature

Tourism Minister Catherine Martin launched our Events Programme to mark the Centenary of the award of the Nobel Prize in Literature, to WB Yeats in 1923.
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Suddenly I saw the cold and rook-delighting heaven
That seemed as though ice burned and was but the more ice,
And thereupon imagination and heart were driven
So wild that every casual thought of that and this
Vanished, and left but memories, that should be out of season
With the hot blood of youth, of love crossed long ago;

from The Cold Heaven

Yeats Unwrapped in Sligo

Use our app to explore the majesty of Sligo landscape, which inspired the poet WB Yeats all his life.

The app includes photos, video and poetry recitals, all of which will enhance your journey. Trails can be walked, cycled or driven and take you around all of county Sligo to places that Yeats knew and loved. The trails include walks through forests, by the sea and up mountains.

This app makes use of GPS to show you places of interest close to your current location.

Download via the App Store or Google Play.

Google Play App Store

Read about our visitors’ experiences

The Yeats Summer School brings together such a diverse group of Yeats lovers in the very setting which inspired the work, with the chance to make connections, learn about Ireland, a chance to hear readings from the best poets in Ireland and the sea, the gushing waterfalls, magnificent Ben Bulben – it’s just a magical experience.

I travelled from Australia especially to see Sligo and Yeats. It’s amazing, better than I imagined and you here at the Yeats Society have helped to make it such a special visit. Thank you.

Of all the time I have spent reading and studying Yeats and to think I’m now here in Sligo with you. I’m overwhelmed. Thanks so much.

To create a safe space to be creative – great examples, great exercises and Victoria was such a generous soul, kind and allowed people to share their work.

Opening Times

The Poetic Mind of WB Yeats Exhibition

March to April 2025
Thursday to Saturday 11am-3pm

May to September 2025
Wednesday to Saturday 11am-4pm

October to December 2025
Thursday to Saturday 11am-3pm

Book Tickets

Hyde Bridge Gallery:
March to December 2025
Tuesday – Saturday 11am-4pm

Entry to Hyde Bridge Gallery is free.

Note: Please be aware that our exhibition space is occasionally closed temporarily for events. We will attempt to notify visitors in due course and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Group Bookings

We work with large operators who bring several groups throughout the year and smaller operators who may have one or two tours visiting Ireland. We aim to give everyone the same level of personal attention.

Please note that all tour enquiries require at least three weeks’ notice. This allows us to create a tour that meets your requirements and to identify the tour guide who will suit your tour best.

Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Group Bookings Contact Us

Yeats Society Sligo

Tel: +353 7191 42693

Email: info@yeatssociety.com

Yeats Building
Hyde Bridge
Sligo, F91 DVY4
Ireland

Opening Times:

Yeats Building:

March – December
Opening Times

Hyde Bridge Gallery:

March – December
Tuesday – Saturday 10-3pm

Become a Member

Support us by becoming a Member of the Yeats Society Sligo, to help build it to a lively and busy cultural institution.

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Donate

We are grateful for the support of donations to Yeats Society Sligo.

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Funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development.