Smock Alley Theatre

Dublin’s Municipal Theatre

Smock Alley Theatre has been a cornerstone of Dublin’s cultural scene since 2012, home to a vibrant community of artists and audiences. Renowned for its bold, multi-disciplinary programming, it presents the annual Scene + Heard Festival of New Work, premieres original productions at the city’s major festivals, and supports emerging talent through initiatives like the Baptiste Programme – Ireland’s first dedicated, paid and mentored script development scheme for Black Irish artists.

In 2025, Smock Alley Theatre became Dublin Municipal Theatre (DMT) at Smock Alley. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oonagh Murphy, its mission is to broaden access to theatre and deepen support for artistic ambition at the heart of the city.

Since 2012, Smock Alley Theatre has been the home to a thriving community of artists and audiences who have presented and enjoyed a multi-disciplinary programme of work. Smock Alley has partnered with the city’s leading cultural festivals, presented its own work including The Scene & Heard Festival as well as a variety of in-house productions and co-productions and supported a legion of artists through a variety of artist support programmes.

Through this activity Smock Alley has established itself as a vital part of the arts infrastructure in Ireland.
However, it has been long apparent that the finance model of the theatre was unsustainable. The board of Smock Alley held discussions with its landlord – Temple Bar Cultural Trust – and other key stakeholders to find a new funding pathway that would secure the future of the theatre.

Dublin City Council and Temple Bar Cultural Trust had been examining opportunities for the establishment of a new Municipal Theatre within Temple Bar and in recognition of the unique heritage of Smock Alley Theatre, decided to establish the new company at this site.

The support offered by Temple Bar Cultural Trust and Dublin City Council to the new Dublin Municipal Theatre at Smock Alley will take both a capital and a revenue development approach that only a local authority can meaningfully resource.

This is an extremely exciting outcome for this landmark building. Dublin City Council and Temple Bar Cultural Trust alongside the Arts Council of Ireland will fund and support this new company to continue to deliver a creative programme of work as well as a suite of artist supports within the theatre. The company will also continue to run weddings and corporate events in Smock Alley’s unique Banquet Hall.

The board and staff of Smock Alley Theatre worked tirelessly on this transition to ensure that Smock Alley not only continues to deliver its unique arts programme and serve its varied communities but has the foundation from which it can thrive and flourish into the future. We welcome the establishment of the new Dublin Municipal Theatre and the transition of the programme and events. Smock Alley Theatre first opened its doors to audiences over 350 years ago. This new arrangement secures the future of the building as a cultural hub and ensures that artists and audiences will continue to engage with the best of Irish theatre and performance for the next 350 years.