A theatre where Frank Patterson made his stage debut in school productions and a young Harold Pinter performed before achieving fame as a writer is in danger of being consigned to history.
The Regal Theatre in Clonmel, which has served the town for more than 70 years and has recently undergone something of a revival, is up for sale.
Attempts to find buyers prepared to keep it going as a performance venue have failed and, unless a last-minute saviour can be found, it is likely to be sold for commercial development.
The Arts Council has expressed deep disappointment and the Mayor of Clonmel, Mr Brian O'Donnell, says people are "shocked" at the development, but there appears to be little that anyone can do to save the venue.
Its owner, Mr Larry O'Keeffe, says he is prepared to sell, rent or lease the building to anyone prepared to continue running it as a theatre, but if this cannot be achieved by mid-March he will sell it for development as offices or apartments.
Mr Phelim Dowd, director of the auditoria project jointly set up by the Arts Councils of the Republic and the North, says the Regal has been "making an impact" in the past couple of years, hosting major touring companies such as the Opera Theatre Company.
As part of the project, a survey is being compiled of theatres and performance venues throughout Ireland. Mr Dowd says it is regrettable that when many towns are in desperate need of such a facility, Clonmel has one but is apparently prepared to let it go. "It's a great pity because the Regal has been of enormous benefit to the community."
Recent revival or not, Mr O'Keeffe says he has been losing money on the venue since he bought it from the Ward Anderson cinema chain in 1995. He returned it to its previous use as a theatre but, as a private owner, was unable to attract the sponsorship and grant aid necessary to make the venture profitable.
He believed it could have a future as a theatre if a group involved in the arts came together, and was able to attract grants and sponsorship.
Clonmel town clerk Mr John Daly says discussions took place with a group of potential investors but had not produced a successful result. Neither the corporation nor Tipperary South County Council could consider buying the venue, he said. But if a suitable group came forward they would support an application to the Arts Council for funding and consider annual grant aid.
The theatre, he said, was not on the list of protected structures on the draft development plan currently before the corporation. Adding it was something that could be considered but there would have to be "good legal grounds" for doing so. Architectural merit, he pointed out, was the key consideration in deciding which buildings should be listed.
Mr O'Donnell said he expected the matter to be raised at last night's meeting of the corporation. "Certainly we would like to see the theatre continue as a venue for the live arts and we will be exploring the options."
Unless a viable option is quickly found, however, the curtain will fall in the theatre for the last time on March 10th when the High and Presentation Schools complete a three-night run of performances of the musical Oklahoma.
Mr O'Keeffe says the removal of the seats and dismantling of the theatre equipment will then begin.