Inis Meáin

Teach Synge

Teach Synge, a 300-year-old cottage, on the beautiful island of Inishmaan (Aran Islands), has been restored in recent years to its former glory. It is now a museum to the life and work of the celebrated playwright, John Millington Synge, 1871-1909.

Among his many works are 'Riders to the Sea' (1904) hailed by many to be the finest one-act tragedy of the 20th century, and his master drama 'The Playboy of the Western World' (1907).

J M Synge first visited the island house in 1898, where his hosts were Brid and Paidin MacDonnchadha (MacDonagh). MsTheresa Ni Fhatharta, the great granddaughter of Synge's hosts started a campaign to have the house restored. This project has been completed and it was restored as closely as possible to the way it was when J M Synge visited the Mac Donagh family. It is now open in the summer months as a Synge Museum.
Memorabilia includes photographs, drawings and letters. A converted stone out-house now holds a small reference library of relevant publications by and about Synge, Yeats and Lady Gregory etc.