Close Menu
Meanwhile in IrelandMeanwhile in Ireland

    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER!

    What's Hot

    BREAKING: Street performer Jelvis Pelvis is dead

    April 5, 2025

    The Cheltenham Festival: Why It’s Practically A National Holiday In Ireland

    April 3, 2025

    JOB ALERT: Social Media Content Creator at Meanwhile in Ireland

    March 26, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Meanwhile in IrelandMeanwhile in Ireland
    • Home
    • News
    • Craic
    • Sports
    • More
      • All-Time Top Articles
      • Culture
      • Dublin
      • Funny
      • Irish People
      • Interesting News
      • Satire
      • The Drink!
      • Travel
      • TV and Movies
      • Viral
    • Shop
    Facebook YouTube Instagram TikTok
    Meanwhile in IrelandMeanwhile in Ireland
    You are at:Home » News » Culture » The history of the Yeats family, revealed
    Culture History Irish People

    The history of the Yeats family, revealed

    Mairéad Ní GhráinneBy Mairéad Ní GhráinneMay 5, 2022No Comments5 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Share:
    Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Email

    Ireland, the land of saints and scholars, has produced a huge amount of talent. From artists to poets, we give you the history of the Yeats family, revealed.

    In the late 1800s in Sligo, Ireland, there lived four siblings, all gifted in talent and ambition. Their father, John Butler Yeats, had been a famous portraitist.

    His two daughters, named Elizabeth and Lily, were masters of crafts and embroidery. They worked together to establish the Dun Emer Press, Ireland’s first commercial printer to work exclusively with hand presses.

    Jack B. Yeats, the youngest of the siblings, would become Ireland’s most celebrated painter. Meanwhile, William B. Yeats earned his name as a renowned poet, dramatist, and prose writer.

    The name ‘Yeats’ strikes a chord with everyone in Ireland. Whether through a poem or painting, this family has immortalised the beauty of Ireland’s past.

    Let’s explore this vision now as we reveal the history of the Yeats family and the art that lets them live forever.

    The Yeats sisters – a powerful team

    Elizabeth Yeats is a central figure in the history of the Yeats family.
    Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

    Elizabeth Yeats, known for her work as an art teacher and publisher of books, first enrolled in the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art along with her sister Lily in 1883.

    By the year 1900, Elizabeth Yeats had worked as a teacher and published a homemade magazine and several painting manuals.

    Lily Yeats had a similar interest in arts and crafts. She was an artist well-known for her stunning embroidered pictures. However, she faced unimaginable illness and hardship throughout her life.

    Lily Yeats was afflicted by ill health.
    Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

    She fell ill as a child and spent a few years living with her grandmother in Sligo. She fell ill again in 1881 and was sent to live with relatives.

    Years later, she contracted typhoid while working as a Governess in the south of France and later was believed to have tuberculosis.

    Even with the burden of illness on her shoulders, Elizabeth Yeats led a successful career as an embroiderer and co-founder of Dun Emer Press.

    Jack Butler Yeats – the beloved artist

    Jack Yeats is an important figure in the history of the Yeats family.
    Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

    Not only is Jack B. Yeats one of Ireland’s most famous painters. Rather, he also owns the title of first Irish medallist to appear at the Olympic Games.

    Yeats’ painting, The Liffey Swim, won a silver medal in the arts and culture section of the 1924 Paris Olympic Games. He is best known for his expressionist style that he developed in the 1920s.

    His paintings are playful and full of colour, depicting the Irish landscape, horses, the circus, and travelling players. They are unique for their use of bright primary colours and thickly applied paint.

    William Butler Yeats – a colossal name in Irish poetry

    W. B. Yeats is perhaps the most well-known member of the family.
    Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

    The poetry and works of W.B. Yeats continue to be analysed in schools all over Ireland as one of the best Irish poets of all time. Love, pride for Ireland, mythology, age, and death star as common themes in his poems.

    Like his sisters, W.B. Yeats attended the Metropolitan School of Art. As a 17-year-old, he began writing his first works, taking inspiration from Oscar Wilde, Irish mythology, and folklore.

    During his lifetime, Yeats helped to found the Abbey Theatre and won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1923. Find out where he ranks on our list of the best Irish poets of all time.

    Yeats and spiritualism – a dark fascination

    Do you know the history of the Yeats family?
    Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

    Interestingly, W. B. Yeats demonstrated a life-long interest in the occult. In 1911, he became a member of the paranormal research organisation named ‘The Ghost Club’.

    Fascinated by mysticism and spiritualism, Yeats focused a lot of his later poetry on the subject.

    From 1912 onwards, Yeats attended several séances and even allegedly encountered a spirit that claimed to be his demon.

    Yeats and Maud Gonne – a story of unrequited love

    W.B. Yeats was enamored by Maud Gonne.
    Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

    One of the most intriguing aspects of the Yeats family history would be the relationship between W. B. Yeats and his muse, Maud Gonne.

    In 1889, Yeats came across the English heiress Maud Gonne who had admired his poem ‘The Island of Statues’ and wished to meet him. However, Yeats became obsessed.

    He was enthralled by Maud Gonne, who inevitably had a lasting effect on his life and poetry. Yeats proposed to Maud Gonne four times, and each time he was rejected.

    His love was unrequited due to a conflict in politics. In his memoirs, Yeats wrote:

    “I had never thought to see in a living woman so great beauty. It belonged to famous pictures, to poetry, to some legendary past.”

    The fascinating history of the Yeats family – where to find their work and history

    Do you know the history of the Yeats family?
    Credit: Tourism Ireland

    You can admire the work of Jack B. Yeats at the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin, but to learn more about the history of the Yeats family, we suggest you visit the Yeats Society Sligo.

    This group operates from the Yeats Building in Sligo town centre. The building hosts an annual literary summer school, a Yeats exhibition, and more exhibitions from upcoming artists.

    Now’s your chance to experience Sligo, where four talented siblings left their mark, and the history of the Yeats family was revealed.

    Share. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Avatar photo
    Mairéad Ní Ghráinne

    Mairéad Ní Ghráinne is a writer, lover of languages, and native Irish speaker from Connemara, County Galway. Having studied Irish, French, Creative Writing, and Childcare, it comes as no surprise that Mairéad is passionate about all things creative, whether playing the fiddle at a local trad session or painting Irish landscapes inspired by her travels. Although travelling has led her to live in Italy, France, and China, she loves nothing more than coming home to Ireland's west coast with a pen and fresh notebook on hand.

    Related Posts

    The Cheltenham Festival: Why It’s Practically A National Holiday In Ireland

    By Siân McQuillanApril 3, 2025

    Are Irish pubs embracing digital transformation?

    By Siân McQuillanFebruary 7, 2025

    Hurling is the greatest sport in the world. Here’s why…

    By Siân McQuillanJuly 24, 2024

    ‘Forget Taylor Swift!’: Commentator’s hilarious reaction to Galway win goes viral

    By Siân McQuillanJuly 1, 2024
    OFFICIAL SPONSOR
    Latest Articles

    BREAKING: Street performer Jelvis Pelvis is dead

    April 5, 2025

    The Cheltenham Festival: Why It’s Practically A National Holiday In Ireland

    April 3, 2025

    JOB ALERT: Social Media Content Creator at Meanwhile in Ireland

    March 26, 2025

    Insights Into The Most Engaging Sports Wagering Options (in Ireland)

    February 23, 2025
    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER!
      Thank you for Signing Up
    Please correct the marked field(s) below.
    1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2
    Stay In Touch
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • TikTok
    Don't Miss

    Top 10 Irish songs you learned in school

    By Mairéad Ní GhráinneAugust 23, 2023

    If you’ve experienced an Irish education, chances are you’ll remember the top ten Irish songs…

    Expedia Invites Travellers to Explore Historic Ireland

    August 25, 2017

    Top 10 Irish pop-culture icons: where are they now?

    October 31, 2022

    Top 5 Irish hangover cures for International Hangover Day

    July 28, 2021

    We specialise in Bizarre Irish News, Viral Videos and general Irish Craic.

    • Home
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Team
    • Work for us
    • Terms of use
    • Privacy policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Copyright
    • Shop
    Follow us

    Connect with us on your favourite social media app.

    Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube TikTok
    Contact us

    19 Arthur St, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT1 4GA.

    [email protected]
    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER!
      Thank you for Signing Up
    Please correct the marked field(s) below.
    1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2
    ©Copyright 2019 - Meanwhile in Ireland | Trading under Emerald Green Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.