Madam, - It was wonderful to see the Abbey Theatre recently celebrate, so well, its 100 years at the forefront of Irish theatre.
It was good also to see so many names associated with its early years remembered, including Willie and Frank Fay and Mary Walker together, with the more familiar names of J.M. Synge, Maud Gonne, Lady Gregory and W. B. Yeats.
But spare a thought too, for a great drama pioneer of yesteryear in Dublin - Bram Stoker, better known as the author of the world's biggest selling novel, Dracula. He promoted drama and the dramatic scene in Dublin, when it might even have been unfashionable to do so.
In the 1870s he cajoled Henry Maunsell, the editor of the then big selling Dublin Evening Mail, to publish a regular drama critical review column which he himself wrote. This introduced many people to drama for the first time. Stoker did this out of sheer love of theatre, at no little personal sacrifice (he was a full time civil servant) and free of charge.
He nurtured an emerging drama scene in Dublin and laid the path which was followed by so many other drama enthusiasts and arguably culminated in that famous opening night in 1904.
Stoker had a fascinating life story and spent some 26 years as secretary to the great Victorian actor, Henry Irving.
An interactive visitor centre in his honour is open every weekend at Westwood in his native Clontarf. - Yours, etc.,
DENNIS McINTYRE, Stoker Dracula Centre, 32 Howth Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3.