A PLAQUE HONOURING the founder and artistic director of the Focus Theatre was unveiled today at its former site in Dublin. 

Deirdre O’Connell was born in the Bronx in New York to Irish parents in 1939. She trained and performed alongside several rising Hollywood stars while she was in America, including Marilyn Monroe and Bob Dylan, before making her way to Dublin in 1961 at the age of 23.

She opened her school in Ely Place in 1963 and married The Dubliners’ Luke Kelly in 1965. By 1967, she had established the Focus Theatre. The theatre made no money and was sustained on funding from Kelly and fellow arts enthusiasts, as well as limited grants and support from family and friends. 

Despite its commercial failings, it was a vital part of Dublin’s cultural life and became a hub for creatives. 

President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina attended the unveiling today. Labour councillor Dermot Lacey had proposed the plaque be erected.

Sabina Higgins speaking at a plaque unveilling, marking the site of the Focus Theatre, honouring its founding member and artistic director, Deirdre O’Connell. Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography / Fennell Photography

Speaking at the unveiling, Lord Mayor of Dublin Councillor Ray McAdam described O’Connell as “an artist whose courage reshaped Irish theatre”.

“This plaque does more than mark a building; it sets a standard and celebrates a legacy that continues to raise the bar,” he said.

Higgins thanked the city council for its decision to unveil the “most fitting plaque”.

“For Sabina and myself, this occasion carries a special personal resonance,” he told those in attendance. “Deirdre was a close and cherished friend of ours, one whose generosity of spirit, fierce artistic integrity and luminous imagination touched all who had the privilege to have known her.”

The decision to erect the plaque was made by the Dublin City Council Commemorations and Naming Committee. The committee’s chair, Councillor Donna Cooney, said it welcomes suggestions from the public for people and events to be commemorated. 

O’Connell passed away in 2001 at the age of 61. She was predeceased by her husband. Today, The Dot Theatre occupies the space that was The Focus Theatre.