Cork Opera House - 12 momentous nights: Dickens, Ella Fitzgerald, Cillian Murphy...
Cork Opera House is currently marking 170 years. Cillian Murphy and Ella Fitzgerald are among the stars who've taken to the stage of a venue that was rebuilt after being destroyed by fire in 1955.
The official opening of the Athenaeum takes place at Emmet Place. ‘Athenaeum’ was a name commonly used for libraries or places of study, and the early incarnation of the Opera House hosted lectures, as well as balls and other cultural events. The building later became known as the Munster Hall, and a major refit by O’Flynns builders in 1877 marked its emergence as the Opera House. The Cork Examiner opined after opening night that “the acoustic properties of the theatre, tested from all parts of the building, were found to be perfect”.
