Urgent appeal to save Yeats Society Sligo
Urgent appeal to save Yeats Society Sligo – and protect Ireland’s poetic legacy for generations to come.
When did you first discover your love of Yeats?
Perhaps it was in the school classroom, conjuring Innisfree from the pages of a dusty textbook, or walking through County Sligo and seeing the landscapes that he recorded in the poems. Perhaps Yeats was read at your wedding, or maybe your love of his poetry inspired you to write yourself.
Whether you’re a writer, poet, academic, Summer School attendee, reader, member or visitor to our Sligo centre, Yeats is part of Ireland’s DNA. His poems have shaped our nation’s literary tradition.
But right now, over 100 years of Yeats’ literary legacy is under threat. We must raise €100,000 by August to Save Yeats Society Sligo.
Yeats Society Sligo’s income has taken an unprecedented hit during the pandemic. Our centre was forced to close its doors and while we had reserves to see us through one year of closures, we now urgently need to raise €100,000 in the next two months to remain open.
Your gift to our urgent crowdfunder can keep Yeats’ spirit alive for future generations.
What will the €100K pay for?
The €100k will keep the Society running from October 2021 to December 2022, and covers our core costs: heating, light, insurance, maintenance and key staff – just about! During that time, we will be working to enhance visitors’ first-hand experience of Sligo and the centre – masterclasses, poetry afternoon teas, poetry weddings, classes for primary school children and bespoke weekend tours. And we want to begin planning for the centenary of Yeats’ Nobel Prize in 1923.
Are you currently funded by the government?
We are not core funded by the State in any way. We greatly appreciated some of the Covid supports, but we are one of the few cultural institutions that have never been core funded by the State. We do get some project funding but this does NOT include any core costs – all must go to the project. It’s of course valuable to have this funding, but we can’t run projects if we are closed!
Why do you need public support?
Our members and private donors have risen to this challenge, and have already pledged funding for this emergency. But we still need public support to raise the full amount. The Yeatsian legacy belongs to the world, not to Sligo or Ireland or any one group alone: to be here for the public after September this year, we need your support.
