The Irish Times

The Abbey Theatre is facing the most critical decision in its history - whether to expand on its existing site or decamp to the Docklands. There are, perhaps, only three northside "draws" to lure Dublin's more snooty southsiders across the River Liffey - the Gate, the Abbey and the airport. But if Ben Barnes, the Abbey's artistic director, has his way, one of the supports of this curious three-legged stool - the National Theatre itself - would be removed to the southside. Just before Christmas, the board of the Abbey had presentations from architects on two rival schemes for the theatre's future - one by Shay Cleary, who designed Arthouse and the new Project in Temple Bar, for a site in the Grand Canal Docks and the other from McCullough Mulvin, its long-time architects - on how the existing theatre could be redeveloped.