Sir, – I wish to “second” Ciarán P Lynch in his advocating for an opera house for Dublin (Letters, February 6th).
Mr Lynch’s point that O’Connell Street is in dire need of the “boost” that such a cultural centre would offer is well made and his suggestion could hardly be more opportune.
After a turbulent decade for opera in this country, the Arts Council, announced in July 2017 a process for a “preferred provider” of main-scale opera in Dublin from 2018. This was an announcement that outlined, what seemed, a very aspirant blueprint for opera’s future and development goals including having to reawaken, reassure and revitalise an Irish “opera audience” after the demise of Opera Ireland in the previous decade. Last year, among a variety of productions countrywide, the “new” Irish National Opera presented remarkable, world-class stagings of Der Rosenkavalier in March and La Bohème in November at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, a good venue but not an opera house. Exceptionally competent, talented and generous people, working coherently as leaders, visionaries, artists and gifted specialists, which this complex art form demands, are doing outstanding work and have attained a remarkable level of excellence in a short few years.
Thus, an opera house in our capital would be in enterprising and accomplished hands. – Yours, etc,
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MICHAEL GANNON,
Kilkenny.