Abbey Theatre express interest in performing here
THE first seat in a new state-of-the-art theatre in Mary Immaculate college is to be named after Limerick’s operatic legend, Catherine Hayes, thanks to the generosity of an American biographer. The third level institute, well known for training the nation’s primary teachers, has just completed the new purpose-built 510 seat ‘Lime Tree Theatre’ through a Department of Education grant and funds raised by the college.
However, funds would only stretch to basic chairs, so in order to secure the top quality seating, the college came up with the ‘Have a Seat’ campaign, which invited alumni, staff and anyone with an interest to sponsor a seat, along with a plaque inscribed with their chosen wording.
“I sent out an email to everyone to inform them of the campaign and within 10 minutes, I had a reply from someone in Florida”, Mary Immaculate president, Professor Peadar Cremin, who departed from, MIC this Wednesday, told the Limerick Post.
“It was from Basil Walsh, biographer of Limerick opera singer Catherine Hayes.
“He asked that the inscription on the seat read: ‘In memory of Catherine Hayes, 1818 to 1861, Ireland’s first operatic diva”.
Prof Cremin acknowledged his surprise that the first response had come from so far away.
“When you send out an email like that you think the seats are going to be bought by alumni, or staff, or to commemorate someone who has graduated.
“I was not expecting the wonderful generosity of someone who buys a seat for a Limerick person who has been dead for 150 years”.
As a result, it has been suggested that a row of seats be reserved at the theatre to commemorate prominent Limerick people who have impacted on the arts world.
Now the largest theatre in Limerick, the new building has already attracted the interest of Fiach Mac Conghail, director of the Abbey Theatre.
“He said the theatre is bigger than the Abbey, and I told him we’d love to have the group here,” added Prof Cremin.
A variety of amateur and professional theatre productions, musicals, concerts and comedy shows are set to be hosted at the theatre.
