Dublin · Temple Bar · Ireland

Smock Alley Theatre, 1662

culturehistoricgoogle verified

easy

9/10

best: evening

nostalgic, vibrant

A local would say...

The oldest theatre in Ireland — built in 1622, converted to a church, then a warehouse, then a theatre again — now stages everything from Shakespeare to murder mystery nights in its ancient stone walls.

Tucked into a beautifully restored 17th-century building on Exchange Street, Smock Alley Theatre is one of Dublin's most historically layered venues. Built in 1622, it was the only Theatre Royal ever constructed outside London, and has since served as a warehouse and a Catholic church before its loving restoration in 2012. Today it stages a diverse programme from opera to puppet shows.