Astley's Amphitheatre was a theatre on Peter Street,

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, which operated from 1789 to 1812. Established by

Philip Astley Philip Astley (8 January 1742 – 20 October 1814) was an English equestrian, circus owner, and inventor, regarded as being the " father of the modern circus". Modern circus, as an integrated entertainment experience that includes music, domes ...

, it was Ireland's first circus and, in later years, was known as the Royal Hibernian Theatre.

History

used his fame and military connections with Capel Molyneux to obtain a patent in 1788, and a theatre was later established on 26 November 1789 to the rear of the Molyneux home on Peter Street facing onto

Bride Street Bride Street () is a street in the medieval area of Dublin, Ireland. Location Bride Street runs from Werburgh Street at the north to New Bride Street at the south. It runs parallel to Patrick Street. History Bride Street appears in a 1465 map ...

. In the 1790s the venue was known as Astley's Dublin Amphitheatre, after

Astley's Amphitheatre Astley's Amphitheatre was a performance venue in London opened by Philip Astley in 1773, considered the first modern circus ring. It was burned and rebuilt several times, and went through many owners and managers. Despite no trace of the theatr ...

of London, and featured the Jacobin Revolutionary Theatre and the Early Circus. In 1794 Astley rented the theatre to William Parker and Benjamin Handy with the permission of the Lord Mayor of Dublin. In 1805,

Joseph Grimaldi Joseph Grimaldi (18 December 1778 – 31 May 1837) was an English actor, comedian and dancer, who became the most popular English entertainer of the Regency era.Byrne, Eugene"The patient" Historyextra.com, 13 April 2012 In the early 1800s, ...

performed here. At the time, the theatre was badly in need of repair. As audiences were small, and the show's box-office takings suffered, Grimaldi donated his salary to help pay for the renovation of the theatre. The Dibdin company, with Grimaldi, transferred to the nearby

Crow Street Theatre Crow Street Theatre was a theatre in Dublin, Ireland, originally opened in 1758 by the actor Spranger Barry. From 1788 until 1818 it was a patent theatre. History Spranger Barry and Henry Woodward The actor Spranger Barry (1719–1777), born i ...

where they performed a

benefit concert A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate hu ...

in aid of Astley's. Astley sold the theatre in 1803, and it later became the Royal Hibernian Theatre before closing in 1812. The main Molyneux house went on to become the

Molyneux Asylum The Molyneux Asylum for Blind Females was opened June 1, 1815 in Peter Street, Dublin, in what was formerly the residence of Thomas Molyneux (1641-1733), whose sister-in-law, Lucy Domville, had been blind. The building had been sold to Philip ...

in 1815, while the site of the theatre went on to become the Molyneux chapel in 1860.

References

Theatres in Dublin (city) {{Ireland-theat-struct-stub