All Ireland Drama Festival in Athlone

Picture credits: RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival

For more than 70 years Athlone has been at the centre of the cultural activities associated with the theatre and, more specifically, amateur drama.

First of all, amateur drama is gaining more attention and more recognition nationally thanks to a series of government initiatives. Even from its start, amateur drama has been identified as a key component of tourism promotion in Ireland.

Amateur drama was celebrated at the heart of Ireland’s rich theatre tradition, the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.