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

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 actress and as 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 summarized, and her career is evaluated in light of reviews of her work and the work of those she directed.