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Smock Alley Theatre lies in an unassuming part of Dublin city. Nestled on the banks of the River Liffey, you would be forgiven for thinking it a quiet little building. Originally built in 1662, The Theatre Royal at Smock Alley gave the world the plays of George Farquhar (The Recruiting Officer), Oliver Goldsmith (She Stoops to Conquer) and Richard Brinsley Sheridan (The Rivals). 300 people attended the theatre each night, seven days a week to be enthralled, entertained and enlightened by actors, acrobats, dancers, musicians and trapeze artists. Now, 350 years after it was first built, the theatre has been carefully and lovingly restored to become Dublin’s Oldest Newest Theatre. It is now once again a bustling hub of theatre, song, dance, art and creativity.
Smock Alley Theatre is a unique and spacious nook along the banks of the Liffey. Our stunning stained-glass-windowed Banquet Hall and the multi-tiered theatre (formerly a boys’ school) are versatile spaces and easy to change but with such interesting features could easily be left as it is with some simple added personal touches! The acoustics for music here are unparalleled and it’s fully licensed too, so you and 250 guests can wed and celebrate until 11pm. Dine on a candlelit banquet (think fresh fish, local cheeses and decadent desserts) with excellent wines. Plus, the cobblestones of Cow’s Lane make for quite the photo backdrop.
MODERN & STEEPED IN HISTORY
Smock Alley is a restored 17th-century theatre building, located centrally in the oldest district of Dublin.
Built in 1662 as Ireland’s first Theatre Royal, the theatre was one of the most significant in the world at the time.
The building was recreated as a Catholic Church in 1811 and in fact housed the first catholic church bell to toll in Dublin for over 300 years. The bell was famously rung by Daniel O’Connell until it cracked! Finally in 2012, Smock Alley Theatre returned to its roots. 350 years after it was first built, the theatre was carefully and lovingly restored to become Dublin’s Oldest Newest Theatre.
