Smock Alley is a restored 17th century theatre building, located right in the centre of Dublin’s oldest district. Built in 1662 as Ireland’s first Theatre Royal, this stunning theatre was one of the most significant in the world at the time.
In 1811, the building was recreated as a Catholic church and actually housed the first Catholic church bell to toll in Dublin for over 300 years, famously rung by Daniel O’Connell until it cracked! In more recent times, Smock Alley Theatre returned to its roots, and was lovingly restored in 2012, 350 years after it was first built and it became Dublin’s Oldest Newest Theatre.
For couples looking for a unique city centre venue, Smock Alley Theatre is an absolute must visit. With its long and rich history, and striking features, such as its stunning stained glass windows and exposed brick walls in the spacious Banquet Hall, this venue will surely add that WOW factor to your big day. The beautiful Banquet Hall is licensed to hold legally binding ceremonies and can accommodate up to 100 guests with pew-style benches and seating. The space can hold a maximum of 150 guests and extra seating for larger numbers would need to be brought in.
The hall is seriously impressive with its ornate plasterwork ceiling, plastered walls with exposed brickwork, and beautiful stained glass windows, serving as a reminder of the building’s time as a church. It is an extremely versatile space and can be easily changed to suit each couples individual vision and style, but with such striking features, sometimes less is more, and adding just a few simple touches can result in the most elegant and unique ceremony space.
We had the pleasure of being invited to visit Smock Alley last week to meet with the lovely Sarah, their wedding coordinator, who showed us around this truly special venue. The acoustics for music here are unparalleled for beautiful string instruments like the harp, which Sarah told us is her personal favourite. The venue is fully licensed too, and the majority of couples who hold their ceremony here, hold their drinks reception here too, and canapés can also be arranged. A really cool idea, we feel, is to use the drinks reception as the time to have your speeches. Then you can move on to your evening venue and begin the celebrations!
Included in the venue hire in the church style pew seating and benches for up to 100 guests, a top table, happy couple seating, use of their PA system and full lighting rig, as well as staffing. Any flowers, decor, food being brought in can be easily delivered to the door. In such a central location, along the banks of the river Liffey, there are so many options for an evening venue on their doorstep, and Sarah is more than happy to recommend restaurants, hotels etc that have proven very popular with previous couples, and the options for photo locations are endless in the theatre’s surroundings.
Visit www.smockalley.com/weddings for more information.
Featured here on www.MyBigDay.ie
