It was left to actress Fiona Shaw, standing on a wooden table and performing Ted Hughes's Ovid, to formally christen the latest addition to the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig, and launch the centre's 25th birthday celebrations.
For a quarter of a century the lakeside property in Co Monaghan, once the home of actor, writer and director Sir Tyrone Guthrie, has been providing a peaceful retreat where practitioners of all art forms can work.
Some 120 guests gathered at the centre yesterday for the official opening of the new performance space, affectionately referred to as "Sheila's Shed" by the current chairwoman of the centre's board, Barbara FitzGerald.
Sheila Pratschke, the centre's director for the past six years, describes the new performance space as the one thing that had been previously missing from the centre.
"It's critical," says Pratschke. "A lot of people come here who need to make noise." Yesterday's celebrations were tinged with sadness over the departure of the current director, who will be leaving Annaghmakerrig at the end of the year to take up the directorship of the Irish College in Paris. "Annaghmakerrig will always be a part of me," said Pratschke.
Sir Tyrone Guthrie's family were represented by his grandniece, Kilkenny-based artist Suzanna Crampton, who spoke on behalf of her mother Julia, who was unable to attend.
According to Suzanna, her great-uncle initially felt that Annaghmakerrig was "too isolated and the house too big to interest anyone except as a farm". Luckily, Suzanna's grandparents convinced Sir Tyrone to leave the property to the State for use as a creative arts centre and, in October 1981, the Tyrone Guthrie Centre was officially opened.
The next step in the birthday celebrations sees the publication of a commemorative book, a collage of memories, artistic works and historical background, which will be launched in November at the Abbey Theatre.