Opera House, Cork City
- On the night of 12th December 1955, Cork Opera House was destroyed by fire caused by an electrical fault.
The building was the design of Sir John Benson and was originally built on another site as the main hall of the 1852 Cork National Exhibition. So much admired, it was "transplanted" across the river, stone by stone, to Emmet Place (then known as Nelson Place) and given the name in 1855 as the Athenaeum.
It was altered and enlarged in 1877 and reopened as the Theatre Royal and Opera House.
In 1888 it became the Cork Opera House under new management.
Cork had no major theatre for a decade, 1955 to 1965, until the opening of the Michael Scott designed new Opera House on this site by President de Valera on 31st October 1965.
The front of house extension of Cork Opera House was officially opened by Minister Síle de Valera on 5th October 2000.
|
