1904 The Abbey Theatre opens on December 27th with three performances, including premières of On Baile's Strand by W.B. Yeats and Spreading the News by Lady Gregory.

1907 The first production of The Playboy of the Western World, by J.M. Synge, and ensuing riots.

1909 Death of J.M. Synge on March 24th. First production of George Bernard Shaw's The Shewing-up of Blanco Posnet, despite the Lord Chamberlain's refusal to grant it a licence for production.

1910 Annie Horniman severs her connection with the Abbey Theatre because of its failure to close on the death of King Edward VII on May 7th.

1911-1912 The Abbey Players pay their first visit to the US, opening in Boston. The cast of The Playboy of the Western World is arrested in Philadelphia in January 1912 for performing "immoral or indecent" plays.

1916 Members of the Abbey company and staff take part in the Easter Rising - Seán Connolly (killed in action), Arthur Shields (interned), Helena Molony (interned), Barney Murphy, Peadar Kearney (author of the Irish national anthem) and Ellen Bushell.

1921 An economic crisis, largely due to the curfew imposed in Dublin, forces the Abbey to curtail performances. Fundraising activities centre on an extended season at the Royal Court Theatre, London.

1923 First production of The Shadow of a Gunman by Seán O'Casey.

1924 An offer to hand the theatre over to the government is made by Lady Gregory and W.B. Yeats. In June, a subsidy of £850 is voted for the financial year 1925-1926, making it the first state-subsidised theatre in the English-speaking world. Juno and the Paycock by Seán O'Casey opens on March 3rd, breaking all previous box office records.

1926 February 8th - first production of The Plough and the Stars by Seán O'Casey. A riot breaks out on the night of the fourth performance. The rest of the week's performances take place under police protection.

A public meeting is held on March 1st and both sides air their views.

1927 The Peacock Theatre, with seating capacity of 102, opens in November as an experimental annex to the Abbey Theatre.

1928 The Abbey rejects The Silver Tassie by Seán O'Casey. From 1928 to 1930 the Peacock provides the first home to the Dublin Gate Theatre, founded by Hilton Edwards and Micheál Mac Liammóir.

1931 - 1932 Tour to the US. Death of Lady Gregory on May, 23rd, 1932.

1935 First Abbey production of The Silver Tassie, by Seán O'Casey.

1939 Death of W.B. Yeats on January 28th.

1940 The Rugged Path, by George Shiels, runs for 12 weeks, the first "long run" sanctioned in the Abbey.

1945 The Abbey presents its first pantomime in Irish, Muireann agus an Prionnsa. Originally billed for six nights only, it runs for 40 nights.

1951 On July 18th, the whole of the backstage area of the Abbey is destroyed by fire. The theatre temporarily re-locates to the Rupert Guinness Hall and later spends 15 years in Queen's Theatre, Pearse Street.

1955 The Abbey tours to Théâtre des Nations Festival with The Plough and the Stars, by Seán O'Casey, to critical acclaim.

1963 The foundation stone for the new Abbey Theatre is laid by the president, Eamon de Valera.

1966 Opening of the new Abbey Theatre on July 18th, by the president, Eamon de Valera.

1967 Opening of the new Peacock Theatre on July 23rd, by Charles Haughey, minister for finance.

Tomorrow: highlights of the Abbey Theatre's recent history