Palace of theatrical delights - The Everyman celebrates 120 years

As the Everyman in Cork marks 120 years, John Daly looks back at some of the milestones in its eventful history as a venue at the heart of the city’s cultural life

WHILE ladies of a certain maturity are generally allowed a degree of circumspection when it comes to admitting their true age, this is clearly not the case with the Everyman Theatre. As the proud grand dame of Cork culture for 120 years, the iconic structure on MacCurtain St has witnessed a veritable history of Cork and the State itself from behind its gracious stained glass windows down through the decades.

Hollywood royalty, Irish theatrical legends, jazz superstars, and literary giants have all passed within its timeless Victorian elegance, and delivered some of Ireland’s greatest cultural works to generations of enthralled audiences. An institution whose roots link into all stratas of Cork society, the Everyman is embedded within the soul of the city — a place of artistic expression and happy recollections still thriving well into its second century.