Unfortunately, records of the Society's activities in the 1920s are scarce and only two full productions are documented. It is likely that new political realities, including the arrival of Irish Independence in 1922, would have resulted in a reaction against an entity associated with the 'British Empire'.
But it should be recalled that the emphasis during the first decades of the Society's existence was on Shakespeare's works as literature to be read and absorbed, rather than as plays to be performed. The Annual Presidential Address focussed on scholarly topics. It was an important date in the city's social calendar which was covered in the press.
It is known that the membership of the Society declined, due to resignations and the death of older members, from a membership of 101 in 1925, to 53 in 1933, when the Dublin branch of the BESS was dissolved on 6 July.
