Dunamaise Arts Centre

Dunamaise Arts Centre (Irish: Amharclann Dhún Másc) is an arts and cultural centre located in Portlaoise, Ireland, opened in 1999.^[1]

Dunamaise Arts Centre

Amharclann Dhún Másc
Dunamaise Arts Centre
Dunamaise Arts Centre Location within Ireland
Former names	Maryborough Gaol
Address	Church Street
Location	Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland
Coordinates	53°02′04″N 7°18′00″W
Public transit	Bus: Laois Shopping Centre stop (bus route 735) Rail: Portlaoise railway station
Parking	City Park @ Church Street
Owner	The Laois Arts Theatre CLG, t/a Dunamaise Arts Centre
Capacity	238
Construction
Opened	May 1999 (1999-05)
Architect	Richard Harman
Website
dunamaise.ie

History

Maryborough Gaol was built c. 1789 in a Neoclassical style. It is a seven-bay, two-storey building over a concealed basement with a three-bay central breakfront, built of limestone and Portland stone.^[2]

It was renovated in the 1990s, and opened in 1999 as Dunamaise Arts Centre, named for the nearby Rock of Dunamase, a medieval fortress.^[3]

Facilities

The theatre has 238 seats; it has a proscenium arch and measures 12.8 m (42 ft) wide, 7.9 m (26 ft) deep and 7 m (23 ft) high.^[4] There is also an exhibition gallery, restaurant and workshop spaces.^[5]