Theatre, Dublin

Who said the arts were boring and old-fashioned? Go and see a concert or play when you're in Dublin: the cultural scene in this city is booming! There's so much (young) talent here that there's no shortage of live music, theatre or art expositions. Venues like the Gaiety, the Gate or the Abbey theatre (pic) offer the more conventional repertoire, whereas place like Andrew's Lane have the more contemporary stuff. Buy an issue of the 'In Dublin' magazine, available from any newsagent, or look in the papers.

This is the city’s second oldest theatre and former Victorian music hall. The site was occupied by ‘Connells Monster Saloon’ from about 1855 to 1876. This gave way to the Star of Erin Theatre, known to Dubliners as Dan Lowrey's Music Hall. It closed in 1897 and re-opened as the Empire Palace Theatre. The Olympia narrowly avoided becoming an office block in the sixties and was closed from 1974 until 1979 after the proscenium arch collapsed during a rehearsal for ‘West Side Story’. The ‘Midnight at the Olympia’ session is currently one of the most popular night-venues in Dublin.