Irish National Ballet
From its inception, INB was housed in a variety of temporary premises, with inevitable disruption. At one stage, the three main departments - dance, stage and administration - were in separate buildings (in different streets!),none of them suitable for the purpose, making working conditions very difficult. The Arts Council purchased the Firkin Crane building, which was in need of major restoration and structural alteration, having been badly damaged by fire on 6 July 1980.
Thanks to the efforts of a group of businessmen under the Chairmanship of former Taoiseach Jack Lynch, a Trust Fund was set up to enable the Board of Management of the INB to finance a programme of capital development without the responsibility for a major fund-raising programme, and this unique building was home to the Irish National Ballet until that became defunct in 1992.
The first Board of Directors included:
Patron Dame Ninette de Valois, D.B.E., C.H
Chairman Donal Walsh
Vice-Chairman Patrick Murray
Hon. Secretary Peter Fleming
Members; Sheelagh Flanagan, Jim Corr, A K A Hill, Loretta Keating, Barry Keohane, Sam McCutcheon, Lucette Murray, Colm Ó Briain, Gerry Van Soest
The Firkin Crane would be delighted to receive any information, artefacts and anecdotes relevant to its history
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