Lord Longford joined the Gate Board in 1931 but resigned in 1936 to set up his own company Longford Productions as he disagreed with the Gate Company’s decision to undertake an extensive tour of Egypt. From then until 1961, the two companies, Longford Productions and Edwards MacLiammoir Productions, each had seasons of six months at the Gate.

In May 1952, four months after the inaugural meeting of the Arts Council, Long Longford wrote

I beg to recommend myself and my theatrical organisations to the Arts Council with a view to our receiving assistance under the Fine Arts Act 1951. [...] My only desire is to continue to give the people of Ireland the best drama and to uphold the artistic reputation of the country. To this end any assistance and encouragement, however small, will be of the greatest value and much appreciated.

The Council agreed on 7 July 1952 to grant a sum of £2,000.

The Company’s accounts for the year ended 31 March 1952 showed that ‘cash introduced by Lord Longford’ (presumably since 1936) totalled almost £64,000 including £8,692 in 1951–52.

Shortly after Lord Longford’s death in 1961, it was reported in the media ‘Longford Productions and Edwards-MacLiammoir Productions have decided to join forces thus healing the split which has lasted since 1936.’