Born in Dublin, Shaw lived in Ireland until 1876 when, at the age of 20, he joined his mother and sister in London. He occasionally returned to Ireland, and he is seen here in a photograph in 1915 at Coole Park, the home of Lady Augusta Gregory, a founder and director of Ireland's nationalist Abbey Theatre. In the early 20th century, Lady Gregory’s home became a place of retreat for some of the leading Irish artists of the day including Sean O’Casey, Augustus John, John Millington Synge, and William Butler Yeats. Although he spent his adult life in London, Shaw identified himself on one undated hotel registration form as “Irish,” and he never hesitated to write on Irish subjects, freely offering political advice to both the Irish and English.