Reply To: The Abbey Theatre – should it stay or should it go

The OPW examined alternative locations at this time, including 44-46 O’Connell Street (the old Carlton Cinema), the Maguire & Patterson site, State land at Infirmary Road, the North Wall Quay, Smithfield and the Grand Canal area. It said the O’Connell Street site appeared to have a number of advantages, including adequate space, but pointed out it was 70 per cent in private ownership. In all cases these relocations would cost substantial sums for site acquisitions and would take longer to develop than the existing National Theatre building, it said.