Dublin Theatre – Dublin is famous for its literary past with famous writers and playwrights such as Oscar Wilde, Patrick Kavanagh and William Butler Yeats. Most of Dublin’s theatres are located in the city centre, but there are a couple in the suburbs. The city's theatres provide a variety of shows with well known Irish and visiting artists. Highlights of the theatre year include the Opera season and the Dublin Theatre Festival. As well as major Irish and international plays which run in the larger venues there are many smaller theatre spaces in the city where you will find an array of new and experimental works.

The Dublin Theatre Festival takes place each October and brings together the cream of Irish and international theatre for two weeks. An exciting and enlivening Fringe Festival accompanies the Festival.

One of Dublin’s most famous theatres is The Olympia. It is as versed at hosting rock concerts as it is to hosting dramatic works of the finest quality. The Olympia is decorated in a very regal style and seating is comfortable. At Christmas time, the Olympia produces a pantomime, one of the best in the city. For more information visit www.olympia.ie.

The Abbey Theatre, The National Theatre of Ireland, is located in Dublin’s north city centre and has a long and colourful history. It was opened in 1904 to help promote Irish culture and plays. The original building in which the Abbey was housed was damaged in a fire in 1951, but with government funding it was subsequently rebuilt on the same site, where it has stood to this day. For more information visit www.abbeytheatre.ie.

Other of Dublin's theatres well worth visiting include:

Andrews Lane Theatre - Andrew Lane Theatre is one of the newer theatres in the city. The capacity varies as they have retractable seating and the plays tend to be more modern than their counterparts. For more information visit www.andrewslane.com.

The Gaiety Theatre - The Gaiety Theatre was Irelands first established theatre, which is still in operation. The theatre plays host to plays, concerts, pantomimes and even acts as a bar at weekends. For more information visit www.gaietytheatre.net

The Gate Theatre - The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 and became internationally renowned as one of the most adventurous and far-sighted play houses in Europe. It is located on Cavendish Row in the city. For more information visit www.gate-theatre.ie.

The Helix - The Helix is a new modern multi-venue performance space recently opened in DCU. Within six months of opening its doors, The Helix has generated an impressive reputation for staging cutting edge and diverse theatre and music. For more information visit www.thehelix.ie.

The Point Theatre - The Point was an old train depot, which was converted into a large international venue and opened in 1988. Its capacity is about 8000, and has played host to performances by many of the world’s premier entertainers. For more information visit www.thepoint.ie.

The Tivoli Theatre - Only opened in 1987 the Tivoli Theatre has become one of Ireland's premier theatre venues, playing host to some of the best productions. It is located in the city centre. For more information visit www.thetivoli.com.