Thoor Ballylee Yeats Tower

Gort, Ireland, Ireland

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Thoor Ballylee, often called Yeats’s Tower, is a historic 15th-century Anglo-Norman tower house located near Gort in County Galway, Ireland. It is best known for its close association with the renowned Irish poet and Nobel Prize winner W. B. Yeats, who purchased and restored the tower in the early 20th century and used it as a summer home for his family. Set beside a picturesque river and surrounded by countryside, the tower inspired some of Yeats’s most famous works, including The Tower and The Winding Stair. The building features a traditional stone spiral staircase, thick medieval walls, and panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Today, Thoor Ballylee serves as a cultural and literary attraction, welcoming visitors who want to explore Yeats’s life, Irish literary history, and the unique atmosphere that influenced his poetry.