In 1993, Co. Monaghan VEC founded the Garage Theatre as a joint venture with Monaghan Dramatic Society (MDS). The Garage Theatre takes its name from a reference in Pat McCabe’s (Monaghan Author) award winning novel, “The Butcher Boy” (this was subsequently a successful motion picture directed by Neil Jordan)

The original theatre (located in a ward in St. Davnets Psychiatric Hospital) opened with a premiere of the play – “Frank Pig Says Hello” starring Sean Rocks, Declan Gorman and directed by Joe Byrne for Co-Motion Theatre Company, based on the award winning novel “The Butcher Boy “. In the film, when Francie Brady’s mother suffers a nervous breakdown and ends up in hospital Francie is informed that she has gone to the Garage get her ankle tightened, and as the theatre was first set up in a disused wing of a psychiatric hospital Pat Mc Cabe suggested calling it the Garage Theatre.

While this 186-seat theatre served well as ad-hoc solution for 20 years, the building had a number of shortcomings unsuitable for the running of a theatre in the long-term. The New Theatre was constructed and completed in January 2013 on the new Monaghan Education Campus on the Armagh Road. It is a 1,940-m2 facility incorporating a 289 seat auditorium with 10 wheelchair spaces, an induction loop system, a 75 seat studio space with a sprung floor, a newly opened visual art studio & Gallery, 3 large dressing rooms, green room, a fully licenced bar & café, numerous administrative offices and 300 free car park spaces.

Funding towards the cost of construction was received from Department of Arts, Sports & Tourism, Department of Education & Skills, Monaghan County Council and Monaghan Town Council.

The Garage Theatre is also home to Monaghan Junior and Senior Youth Theatres and Garage Theatre Productions.

“I loved the Garage Theatre from the moment I set foot in it. That was the night Frank Pig Says Hello played there and I have to say that it really was one of the proudest moments of my life”

– Pat McCabe

                   Current Staff

    Operations Manager: Cathy Bennett 

    Artistic Director: Eileen Costello

    Director of MSYT: Krista Hamilton

    Creative Youth Officer / Director of MJYT: Joanne Brennan

    Youth Theatre Facilitator : Elaine Dawson

    Technician: Josh Mc Phillips

    Assistant Technician: Caomh Mc Gillion

    Box Office Staff:  Maggie Mc Dermott