By Abbey tour guide Brían Ó Súilleabháin
There has always been a strong connection between the Abbey and the Irish language. The theatre has staged many Irish language productions during its history, starting in 1905 with Seaghán na Scuab by Tomás Ó hAodha and continuing to 2026 with Shauna Carrick’s new Irish musical, SAOIRSE.
As a Gaeilgeoir, I have always appreciated the representation that the National Theatre has given to our National Language. So, when I joined the Abbey’s team as Tour Guide in June 2026, one of the first things I set out to do was to craft an always-on National Theatre Tour as Gaeilge.
When I first suggested that we should offer a public tour in Irish, I was delighted by the enthusiasm the idea received from current Co-Directors Mark O’Brien and Caitríona McLaughlin, and I was given great encouragement to make it happen.
When writing the script for the tour, I found myself transported back to my school days, looking up translations in my Foclóir Nua. I learned new words for terms I never knew existed in Irish; “Máistir na bPrapaí” for Props Master, “athshonadóireacht acústach” for acoustic resonance, and “cóiréagrafaíocht troda” for fight choreography.
My first public tour of the Abbey Theatre as Gaeilge took place on 1st September 2026; it had just one person on it, a retired school principal who had travelled from Louth especially for it. At the end of the tour, he turned to me and said (in Irish): “This is fantastic. I’m always looking for places in Dublin that offer tours as Gaeilge, so this was a great find. Thank you so much.”
For a tour guide, and a Gaeilgeoir, it is comments like these which make all the work worthwhile.
Find out more and book a tour as Gaeilge (or as Béarla) at abbeytheatre.ie
