At the Sign of the Unicorn
The Abbey Theatre was founded in 1904, largely through the financial and supportive efforts of Lady Gregory, whom G.B. Shaw described as 'the greatest living Irishwoman'. The Theatre became the chief vehicle for the cultural explosion at the turn of the century known as the Irish Literary Renaissance. It supported plays by Yeats, John Millington Synge, Sean O'Casey, and many other Irish writers. There are three early periodicals related to the Abbey Theatre, each edited by Yeats. They are Beltaine, (Beltane or Bealtaine, an ancient Gaelic holiday celebrated around May 1st), Samhain (Scots Gaelic: Samhuinn, literally 'summer's end.'), and The Arrow. Here are copies of the first two, both from Charles Brasch's library.