Madam, - I disagree with the suggestion made by Gerry Diggins (March 25th) and a previous letter-writer, to house the Abbey Theatre in the General Post Office on O'Connell Street.
Both seem to ignore the fact the GPO, being a building of great historical importance, is a Grade 1 listed building. This means that no alterations or changes can take place to either the interior or exterior. To house live theatre the whole building would need to be gutted and rebuilt. Simply a non-runner.
The same argument applies to Desmond White's suggestion of moving the theatre to the old UCD exam hall, now the National Concert Hall, on Earlsfort Terrace. This, too, is a listed building with a protected fabric. The hall is too short, too narrow and too low to house live theatre. To alter it would require its demolition and rebuilding. A non-runner.
There is but one solution: Leave the Abbey where it is on Lower Abbey Street. Demolish the buildings between it and the VHI and extend along the street. Gut the existing 1960s Michael Scott-designed cube building and incorporate it in the scheme. Extend riverwards into the Old Abbey Street laneway at the rear to increase width. This will double if not treble the site footprint. Put the Abbey at one end, the Peacock at the other and in between locate a children's theatre, museum, restaurant, gallery and public area.
Such a scheme would be a far better State investment, and it would give this neglected area of the city more of a boost than the €50 million spent on Farmleigh, or the €70 million on the aquatic centre in Abbotstown, or the €60 million on Martin Cullen's collection of ping-pong machines. - Yours, etc.,
ANTHONY MacGABHANN, Herbert Road, Bray, Co Wicklow.