Editing Barry Fitzgerald (section)

===Abbey Theatre===
Interested in acting, he began appearing in amateur dramatic societies such as the Kincora Players. He joined his brother Arthur Shields in the Abbey in 1915. He chose the stage name Barry Fitzgerald so as not to get in trouble with his superiors in the civil service.<ref name="irish"/>

Fitzgerald's early appearances at the Abbey included bit parts in plays such as ''The Casting Out of Martin Whelan'' and a four-word part in ''The Critic''.<ref name="new">{{cite news|title=Of That Irishman Named Barry Fitzgerald: Captain Jack Boyle, From the Abbey to Broadway, a Couple of Times| last=Robinson| first=Jerome| newspaper=The New York Times| date=14 January 1940| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1940/01/14/archives/of-that-irishman-named-barry-fitzgerald-captain-jack-boyle-from-the.html?searchResultPosition=1| page=X3| url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.abbeytheatre.ie/archives/person_detail/14880| title=Barry Fitzgerald| website=Abbey Theatre Archives| access-date=26 February 2025}}</ref>

His breakthrough performance at the Abbey came in 1919, when he was in ''The Dragon'' by Lady Gregory.<ref name="artist">"SOME IRISH ARTISTS: XXI.--Mr. Barry Fitzgerald Bruyere". ''The Irish Times''. Dublin. 18 August 1923: 9.</ref> However he continued to act part-time until 1929, keeping his job in the civil service during the day.<ref name="driver"/> He was in ''The Bribe'', ''An Imaginary Conversation'', ''John Bull's Other Island'' and others.<ref name="artist"/>
 
In 1924, Fitzgerald's salary at the Abbey was £2/10 a week.<ref>Monks, Michael (28 August 1953). "BARRY FITZGERALD AIDS TOURIST DRIVE". ''The Irish Times'':Dublin. 6.</ref> That year he appeared in the world premiere of ''[[Juno and the Paycock]]'' by famed playwright [[Seán O'Casey]].<ref>{{cite web| website=[[AllMovie]]| title=Barry Fitzgerald| url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/barry-fitzgerald-an33199| access-date=26 February 2025}}</ref> Fitzgerald played Captain Jack Boyle.

He received much acclaim for his performance in ''Paul Twyning'' during 1925. The following year he was in the premiere of O'Casey's ''[[The Plough and the Stars]]'', playing Fluther Good. The play was controversial, causing riots and protests. One night in February 1926, three gunmen turned up to Fitzgerald's mother's house intending to kidnap him and prevent the play from being performed, but they were unable to find him.<ref>"ABBEY KIDNAPPING PLOT FAILS: WENT TO WRONG HOUSE "GUNBOYS" IN SEARCH OF MR. FITZGERALD". ''The Irish Times''. Dublin. 15 February 1926: 5.</ref>

In 1926, Fitzgerald was in ''The Would-Be Gentleman''.<ref>"ABBEY THEATRE". ''The Irish Times''. Dublin. 6 April 1926: 3.</ref> Other appearances at the Abbey included ''The Far Off Hills'', ''[[Shadow of a Gunman]]'' and ''The Playboy''.<ref>Comiskey, Ray (10 March 1988). "Barry Fitzgerald: The Abbey to Hollywood". ''The Irish Times''. Dublin. 12.</ref>

O'Casey wrote a part, especially for Fitzgerald in the play ''[[The Silver Tassie (play)|The Silver Tassie]]'', but it was rejected by the Abbey. The play was picked up for production in London in 1929. Fitzgerald decided to leave his civil service job to join the production and at age 41, he became a full-time actor.<ref name="new"/>