Abbey to undergo asbestos works

The auditorium in Dublin’s Abbey Theatre is to close for a nine week period this summer to allow for work to remove asbestos.

A run of Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars is now scheduled to be staged at the O'Reilly Theatre on Great Denmark Street from July 26th to September 15th while the asbestos is removed.

Other parts of the theatre are to remain open for business during the period. The auditorium is scheduled to re-open in mid-September in time for the Dublin Theatre Festival.

The asbestos was found during an inspection of the theatre in January and the discovery was then reported to the Health and Safety Authority which has since helped the Abbey to form a plan of action.

The Abbey Theatre said the discovery posed no health risk to its staff or patrons and that weekly air quality tests had shown this to be the case. It said it would have been possible to treat the asbestos every three or four years to secure its safety, but it was cheaper to fully remove it.

"We have opted to fully remove the asbestos for the long-term safety of our staff because theatre involves a lot of technical work and staff may be required to work in the areas where asbestos was identified," the Abbey said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for the theatre said patrons who have booked tickets for The Plough and the Stars would be contacted by phone.

Alternatively, patrons can visit  abbeytheatre.ie or call the box office on 01-8787222.