Sir, - I admire Brian Fallon's detailed review of Dr John O'Grady's great book The Life and Work of Sarah Purser (December 17th). On page 247, Dr O'Grady, refers to the five stained glass windows (1904) by Purser in the vestibule of the old Abbey Theatre, as being "destroyed by fire". This is not correct.
The Abbey Theatre fire, on July 17th/18th 1951, occurred in the auditorium and did not damage the vestibule, which for to years was ticket office for the Abbey Players in the Queen's Theatre. Until 1961, just before the building was demolished, the windows were still in position. Gerard Fay in The Abbey Theatre Cradle of Genius (1958) describes them as "the image of a tree in leaf".
When this small, world famous building - where renowned writers, actors and artists had met - was being taken down, I saw no numbers on the granite stones. This would make it difficult to rebuild. The contractor, the late Christy Cooney, explained that his instructions were to dump the lot! I said: "Please number the stones and dump them in our garden". This he willingly did and they have been here for 35 years with the other windows, doors, the canopy over the main entrance, railings and even the two billboards from the front of the old Abbey Theatre.
In February 1995, John Teahan, Keeper of the National Museum, asked me for this historic twostorey building, which is only about 30 feet square, to be erected as part of the development of Collins Barracks. I offered to give it as a gift. He agreed with me about the site there, but sadly, he died in
October 1995. Since then, progress has been very slow.
When the old Abbey Theatre vestibule is eventually rebuilt, Sarah Purser's five stained glass windows will be essential. Does anybody know where they are now? - Yours, etc.,
Vico Road,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.