Eithne Dunne

Legacy Eithne Dunne had many roles in the Abbey Theatre. She had a strong connection to the theatre

Dunne's daughter, Anne, was a cosmetologist in Switzerland. Dunne performed in The Playboy Of the Western World a number of times and went to New York with the play. Her work was also experienced in the Dublin Film Festival in September 1961 when she performed as Mrs. Warren in Mrs. Warrens Profession by George Bernard Shaw. Her work also was experienced on the screen in the movie 8 o'clock walk directed by Lance Comfort where she played Mrs. Evans, this was a big opportunity which caused her to leave Ireland for Britain. She travelled to New York which paved the way for other actresses to also go to the United States. Dunne was featured in many famous Irish playwrights work both in New York and in Ireland. Her work has been highly commended by fellow playwrights as well as within well regarded news articles.

Dunne expressed a keen interest in having other actresses have the same opportunities she had as she was one of few actresses who was able to make a living from her work in plays and films at the time. She explained how acting is a precarious career and how she found that her work in both the Gate Theatre and the Abbey Theatre allowed her to build up her repertoire and therefore pass her experiences onto other actresses. Dunne's association with Michael MacLiammoir in plays such as Wuthering Heights and her involvement with Longford Production since their establishment in 1944 have further cemented her place in Irish theatrical history. Fellow actors and actresses often praised her work, and many of them travelled to Ireland to attend her memorial mass and commemorate her life.

Partial filmography No Resting Place (1951) – Meg Kyle Eight O'Clock Walk (1954) – Mrs. Evans She Didn't Say No! (1958) – Miss Hogan Shake Hands with the Devil (1959) – Eileen O'Leary Dementia 13 (1963) – Lady Haloran The Mutations (1974) – Nurse (final film role)