Ria Mooney: The Life and Times of the Artistic Director of the Abbey Theatre, 1948-1963

Ria Mooney was a pioneer in the theatre, the first woman to serve as the resident producer of the National Theatre of Ireland (popularly referred to as The Abbey) between 1948 and 1963. She distinguished herself as an actress and director of some of the most important playwrights and performers of her time, and received excellent reviews for her work. But after leaving the Abbey, she has, for the most part, been overlooked in theatrical histories.

In this work, Ria Mooney receives the notice she deserves as one of Ireland’s most significant theatrical artists of the twentieth century. Her entire theatrical career is covered and special attention is paid to her work as an actress and resident producer at the Abbey. The author explains how Mooney assembled and nurtured her acting company and worked with the playwrights whose plays she mounted at the Abbey and the Queen’s playhouses.

A picture is created of the swiftly changing theatrical, cultural, political, and social climate of Dublin during her tenure at the Abbey. Her importance to Irish theatre is summarised, and her career is evaluated in light of reviews of her work and the work of those she directed.