Lady Gregory

The Image and Other Plays Lady Gregory

Isabella Augusta, who went as Lady Gregory, was a famed Irish dramatist. Deeply involved in all things theater, including being a theater owner. She primarily was a writer, and received much accolades for her work, later being recognized for spawning the Irish Literary Revival. In part, this was due to her writing plays based on Irish folklore and mythology, which helped give it renewed power and value. She also used "Kiltartanese" which is a mix of English with Gaelic. Lady Gregory enjoyed a life of estates, world travel, salons and privilege. Born to a family with a 6,000 acre estate, she married well to Sir William Henry Gregory. She and her husband traveled to India, Egypt and Italy, among other places. Influenced by her experiences, Lady Gregory wrote in support of political causes such as the Urabi Revolt in Egypt, as well as support for Irish nationalism. She spent much of her later years in theater, until she passed away at the age of 80 due to breast cancer.