At the start of the 20th century, Lady Augusta Gregory, a writer and dramatist, lived at Coole House and hosted a number of literary greats to stay with her. They carved their initials into the trunk of this magnificent copper beech. Although the natural growth of the tree has obscured many of the carvings, you can make out the initials of George Bernard Shaw, W.B. Yeats, Douglas Hyde, Sean O’Casey, and J.M. Synge.