William Butler Yeats
Yeats was born into a strongly Protestant family in 1865 in the Irish and largely Roman Catholic city of Dublin; Yeats was the son of Susan Pollexfen and John Butler Yeats; his mother was a member of a wealthy milling and shipping family; his father was originally a barrister but later followed his other son into painting.
He was educated at Godolphin School, Hammersmith and High School, Dublin. He studied at School of Art, Dublin and developed an interest in mystic religion and the supernatural. Yeats identified himself more with the Catholic majority in terms of their roots and ancient culture but rejected their religion; he enjoyed Irish ancient history and Celtic mythology.
- Age 21 abandoned art for literature and edited several poetry volumes
- 1889 First meeting with Maud Gonne
- 1891-1892 Founded the Irish Literary Society in London (1891) and Dublin (1892)
- 1896 Affair with Olivia Shakespear
- 1897 First extended visit to Coole Park
- 1899 Established the Irish National theatre with help from Lady Gregory. Proposal to Maud Gonne
- 1900 Death of mother
- 1903 Maud Gonne marries John MacBride
- 1907 Abbey Theatre riots after performance of Synge’s ‘The Playboy of the Western World’
- 1912/13 Controversy over Lane bequest completes Yeats disillusionment with Irish politics
- 1917 Marriage to Georgie Hyde-Lees...
