Limerick's 'little Olympia' to host concert for first time in 30 years

Long-derelict Theatre Royal reopens for All We Have Are Days festival over bank holiday weekend

All We Have Are Days festival organiser Rocky O’Shea, Seán Flynn from Trad Folkin Rocks, and Seán O’Meara from the olllam. Pictures: Brian Arthur.

An old cinema building in Limerick will host a concert for the first time in 30 years, as many have called for the space to be "utilised" more.

As part of the All We Have Are Days festival taking place over St Brigid’s weekend, Irish band the olllam will play the Theatre Royal.

The long-derelict theatre had been partly restored for the play Connie and was used as a movie set last year.

Limerick singer-songwriter Seán O’Meara, who plays in the olllam, emphasised the “importance of the historic venue being reopened for the first time in years” for a concert.

“It has been host to some unbelievable concerts there over the years. The Cranberries played there. This would be the first music concert to take place in those walls in a long time, it’ll be be really cool,” he told the Irish Examiner.

Founded in 1852, the building, located on Cecil Street, was damaged by a fire in 1990, reopened in 1991, but closed by the end of the decade.

The venue has hosted an array of well-known acts, including The Corrs, Boyzone, and Prodigy.

The theatre was partially renovated last year for the set of One Night Only. 

Repairs have been made to the rood, a new fire safety system has been installed, and there are also accessible facilities.

Mr O’Meara said he hoped to see the space used more. “We don't really have another venue like this in the city — in the county for that matter. It's like a little Olympia. It’s an old-school theatre, it's absolutely gorgeous. 

The fact that we have something like that in the city, it would be a shame not to utilise it.

More than 100 artists, including Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody and Denise Chaila, are due to perform in Limerick over the long weekend as part of All We Have Are Days.

David O’Donovan, a music promoter and co-organiser of the festival, remembers going to the Theatre Royal having just moved from Dublin to attend college in Limerick. “The Frames were playing at Christmas in the theatre, we would've followed them since we were kids in school. It was my first gig in the city, the  Royal was a real introduction to Limerick,” he said.

Rocky O’Shea, another co-organiser who owns The Commercial pub, said the venue massively contributed to the local economy. “You had this 800-capacity venue in the city, you had people coming in every Thursday, Friday, Saturday eating and eating locally, drinking locally. It’s in the heart of the city, I think we're very much missing that in Limerick at the moment,” he said. 

“If it could come back to life, it would be an amazing story for the city.” 

The pair set up All We Have Are Days festival last year, in partnership with Guinness, the local council, and local venues. “Everyone was down in Cork for the jazz for the October bank holiday weekend. We just felt that there as a real opportunity for Limerick to be the destination for the St Brigid’s weekend, to market the city as the destination for that weekend,” said Mr O'Shea.