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This fact was recognised as recently as May, 2003
when Sligo Borough Council awarded their highest
honour for achievement by an individual, when the
members of the Council enrolled Mr. Yeats in the
roll of “Freemen of the Borough of Sligo”. As the
citation states, this honour was bestowed on Mr.
Yeats “in recognition of his attachment and
generosity to Sligo”.
In many ways Mr. Michael Yeats gave years of
encouragement and support to the many institutions
in Sligo which cherish and promote the tremendous
artistic and historical achievements of the Yeats
family. Throughout the early years of Nora Niland’s
work to establish the Library and Museum Yeats
collection, Michael was available to support her
endeavours and this support continued down through
the years from both Michael and Gráinne.
As recently as Spring 2006 both Michael and Gráinne
on one of their annual visits to Sligo called in to
the County Museum in order to view his fathers Nobel
Medal for Literature which he had kindly given on
loan to Sligo County Museum in 1964. At the time
Michael was as usual keenly interested in the work
of the Library and Museum and was looking forward to
the upcoming exhibition in the National Library on
the work of his father William Butler Yeats. In fact
it was on this visit to view the Nobel Medal that
Michael personally requested that the County Council
give the medal on loan to the National Library in
order to ensure that the exhibition was as
comprehensive a possible.
In recent years Michael and Grainne divided their
time between Tallahasse in Florida and Dalkey in
County Dublin.At all times Michael was approachable
and interested in the work being carried out in
Sligo and the proposed developments for the new
Library and Museum were of tremendous interest to
him.
While born the son of one of Ireland’s greatest
literary stars Michael in his own right made a
tremendous contribution to world of literature
through his support of the Yeats Summer school and
the support he gave in a quiet way to Sligo Library
and Museum services. Michael will be missed and we
in Sligo Library and Museum services extend our
deepest sympathy to Gráinne and their children on
his passing.
Great lady of the darkening skies,
Great lady of the lustrous eyes,
Stay, stay your hasty tread,
And lowly bend your golden head,
Ah! Hush that rending moan,
Far wandering that turns to stone,
And lead, my loves and every thought,
And all the visions I have brought;
Ah hush that bodeful sound !
Is it of sky or hollow ground?
That we together in good faith,
May talk of the great god Death.
Autumn by John B Yeats.
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