Abbey Theatre

The Abbey Theatre, Ireland's National Theatre, was founded in 1904 by W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory to stage the "deeper emotions of Ireland" and foster a distinct Irish identity. As the first state-subsidized theatre in the English-speaking world, it played a pivotal role in the Irish Literary Revival and continues to produce ambitious, courageous new theatre that engages with all of Irish society. The current building, designed by Michael Scott and opened in 1966 following a devastating fire, houses two performance spaces: the Abbey Auditorium and the Peacock Theatre.