History
Opened as 'The Star of Erin' music hall in 1879 and was then renamed Dan Lowerys Music Hall in 1881. It was finally given the name of The Olympia Theatre in 1923. It ran successfully for many years up to November 1974 when it was forced to close and following major structural damage (during a break n rehearsals for a production of West Side Story parts of the proscenium arch and the ceiling above collapsed). The possibility of demolishing the building was considered by the local Council and the owners, however a restoration fund was begun and City Councillors eventually placed a preservation order on the theatre. The theatre was restored and redecorated, allowing it to reopen on 14 March 1977. In November 2004, a truck reversing on Dame Street crashed into the front of the Olympia damaging the building. A cast iron and glass canopy from the 1890s, by the Saracen Foundry in Glasgow, was demolished during the accident but has since been restored.
Read more about this topic: Olympia Theatre (Dublin)
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