Cork Opera House unveils events for 170th birthday celebrations 

The Leeside venue is rolling out a series of live concerts and other projects to mark its major milestone 

Cork Opera House staff at the 170th Anniversary announcement.

Cork Opera House has revealed details of three events that will form part of its 170th year of celebrations. 

Opened in 1955 as The Athenaeum, the Emmet Place venue has welcomed millions of audience members and hosted a diverse range of performers, from Ernest Shackleton and John McCormack, to Johnny Cash, Ella Fitzgerald and Cillian Murphy.

Throughout the coming year, the Opera House has plans to “celebrate and memorialise its legacy”. Among the upcoming events include:

Best of Cork Opera House Gala Concert, Saturday, March 22: A black-tie gala evening of celebration, music, opera, comedy, theatre and dance featuring the likes of Killian Donnelly, Majella Cullagh, and Niamh O’Sullivan.

Send it Home: A memorabilia project that will have the venue displaying items such as old costumes, programmes, posters, etc, and engaging with the public to encourage Cork families to rifle their attics and share their own experiences.

The Decades Project: This year will mark the launch of a five-year project that will have , 17 artists creating original works inspired by the theatre’s defining moments across its 17 decades of existence.

Of the Send it Home project, Opera House CEO and artistic director, Eibhlín Gleeson said: “We know there are treasured programmes, ticket stubs, letters, and photographs out there — pieces of history that deserve to be shared. Send it Home is about preserving and celebrating those memories for future generations.”