Cinemas That Are No More

TheScribbler

Hi everyone

Anyone out there who enjoyed the suburban cinema experiences of the 50s, 60s and 70s (in the days before multiplex's) will have many a happy memory to share. Cities like Dublin had a host of cinemas, especially in the suburbs that screened what they thought would sell rather than what was current. It was brilliant. I can remember searching through the evening newspapers to see what was on and travelling across towns by bus to be there for a seven o'clock screening. No all night screenings back then. The local 'flea pits' always turned out their audiences at 10.25 at the latest to get the bus home - aahhh nostalgia. Among my favourites were the following:

Dublin: Apollo in Walkinstown, Classic in Terenure, Kenilworth, Ormonde at Stillorgan and Greystones, Stella at Mount Merrion and Rathmines

Bray: Royal & Roxy

Dun Laoghaire: Pavillion & Adelphi

In Northern Ireland for holidays there was the Strand (which has recentlyhad its beautiful art deco exterior fully restored) and the Tonic in Bangor, once supposedly the largest art deco cinema in Ireland that burnt down mysterioulsy one night just as the planners were considering placing a preservation order on the building - funny that!

So folks fancy sharing some of your personal favourites and what sort of experiences you remember? Get writing.

trad

The Bohemian in Phibsboro aka the fleehouse, says it all. The State areound the corner where Des Kelly is. The Grand in Cabra, now a bingo hall. Never strayed beyond these when I was a kid.

enda1

+1 for the Classic.
Is the Ormonde closed!?

I'll add the Ambassador to the list.

The one and only film I say there was the Lion King. Amazing!!

Savoy screen 1 style place in its presentation and regalia!

Hunchback

the Forum in Glasthule!! it just seems like a hazy memory to have people smoking in one half of the cinema!

Carroller16

The Carlton in OCS... went to see adams family values in there ... my first ever cinema experience

rednik

I virtually grew up in the Pavillion in Dun Laoghaire. Remember it as a great cinema. Then the Forum came along. I went to see The song remains the same at a late night showing and could barely see the screen with all the smoke (not tobacco:)). Great days.

mike65

The Roxy in Tramore. I saw such epics as Brannigan, Snow White, Kellys Heroes and Mission Mars (you'll have to look that one up!)

Waterfords closed cinemas are the Regal (in the Glen which closed many year ago), The Savoy in Broad Street which I saw one or two films in and The Coliseum. The Theatre Royal also screened films as well ass staging plays.

silverharp

there was one in Sandymount on Serpentine Ave, Its a Hindu temple now. It closed in the mid 70's and I only have a hazy recollection of it.

dario28

Sutton Cross - Proper Old Skool !

TheScribbler

When I raisxed this subject earlier I was really thinking about the cinemas outside city centres that were main stream entertainment centres. In Dublin while major cinemas like The Capitol, Carlton and the Metropole have long gone but so have the '2nd tier' cinemas like:

The Academy (Pearse Street)
The Apollo (Sundrive Road)
The Astor

The Casino
The Corinthian
The DeLuxe (Camden Street)

The Eblana
The Film Centre
The Gala (Ballyfermot)

The Grafton Cartoon Cinema
The Grand
The Green Cinema

The Inchicore (was it called The Ritz?)
The Landscape (Churchtown)
The Phibsboro

The Plaza (Cinerama)
The Regent
The Rialto

The Sandford
The Star (Crumlin)
The State

The Talbot (I think thats what it was called)
The Tower (Clondalkin)
The Whitehall

That is as far as my uncertain memory takes me. Any others folks?

Bearhunter

CKonetheonlyone wrote: »

the Forum in Glasthule!! it just seems like a hazy memory to have people smoking in one half of the cinema!

Was that the one by the eagle House? If so, I remember it well and I remember the smoking section being on one side of the cinema.

Fuzzy Clam

rednik wrote: »

could barely see the screen with all the smoke (not tobacco:)). Great days.

;);););););)

BOHSBOHS

the adelphi !!!! on abbey st :cool:

the grand? on fairview strand!

and the one down the side of the janelle shopping centre in finglas!

Run_to_da_hills

Savoy in Limerick City.

Hunchback

Bearhunter wrote: »

Was that the one by the eagle House? If so, I remember it well and I remember the smoking section being on one side of the cinema.

it sure was. i recall watching such dubious films as "my girl" and "moonwalker" somewhere in the midst of the smoke

TheScribbler

Wow I remember the Savoy in Limerick. Actually it was a good cinema.

I also remember The Abbey in Wicklow. There was also an old cinema in Blessington. Someone told me it was called The State

iMax

Someone will probably enjoy these, written by my dad for Box Office magazine in 1997:

The Ambassador

Multiplicity in Irish Cinema

TheScribbler

Thanks IMax that is an interesting review on cinema history. I new the Ambassador to be venerable but was unaware of its extensive heritage

Antenna

See attached
Recently came across an unrelated newspaper cutting someone had from the Cork Evening Echo from 4th Sept 1973 - but on the other side were mostly cinema ads of what was playing then in long since gone cinemas around Cork city - would be of interest to this thread.

TheScribbler

Bruce Lee & Fists of Fury - that was on television recently. It was dreadful when it first came out and hasn't got any better.

I had quite forgotten qabout the cinema ads that appeared in the newspapers. In Dublin the Evening Mail, Evening Press and Evening Herald will filled with them, as was the Cork Evening Echo and Belfast Telegraph

Capt'n Midnight

The one in Lucan down by the bridge

And what was the other one on Abbey St, with the tiny screen upstairs with all the foreign films ? Diva and Betty Blue were each there for ages

And the other other one in Abbey St. which had Mad Max for ages too.

mike65

I love old cinema displays ads. Shows how things change - double bills? Late shows for "adults"? Whatever happened to the good old days.

TheScribbler

Late showing were a real treat which often meant that you were on your own in the cinema

Outkast_IRE

I know it only closed down a few years ago but the capital in cork !!!
It was right on grand parade always fond memories of getting bus into town and watching a film there .......... And i always remeber Screen 1 being huge i dunno was it cause i was small or what but in my mind it had more seats than any other cinema i was in and a huge screen!!!!! Good times

Outkast_IRE

TheScribbler wrote: »

Late showing were a real treat which often meant that you were on your own in the cinema

late shows are still on in cork i usually head to the 23.30 show usually a few people who are all intrested in the movie i love late show.

superfly

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

And what was the other one on Abbey St, with the tiny screen upstairs with all the foreign films ? Diva and Betty Blue were each there for ages

And the other other one in Abbey St. which had Mad Max for ages too.

are you talking about The Lighthouse and The Adelphi?

also the Carlton on O'Connell st

TheScribbler

Goodness I can remember going to all the Dublin central cinemas at one time or another (some more frequently than others). The Adelphi was a smart modern looking cinema but my favourite was the Capitol with its amazing interiior foyer - loved it.

triple-M

anyone remember the name of the cinema in janelle shopping centre in finglas where tesco is now?? iirc it closed in the 90's,good times :D

oneweb

Janelle, Finglas had a cinema - think I was only there once. From what I can recall it was to see Ernest Saves Christmas! Would've been about right for the time. Was closed for years. There was a huge tree just outside, to one side of the path down the hill that had lights all over it too. I loved the way Janelle Shopping Centre was lit for Christmas, couldn't wait for the trip from Blanch every week for the shopping at Crazy Prices! Ah the memories

Of course, Janelle Shopping Centre no longer exists, and that makes me feel like an old fart!

oneweb

triple-M wrote: »

anyone remember the name of the cinema in janelle shopping centre in finglas where tesco is now?? iirc it closed in the 90's,good times :D

I'd hit reply before I saw your post

Ha! Furthermore, the listing is still up for "The Plaza"...

http://www.goireland.com/dublin/plaza-cinema-attraction-cinemas-id10830.htm

Don't even try, the number's out of service :pac:

TheScribbler

Does anyone remember the name of the cinema that used to be in Drumcondra?

chakotha

The Pavillion
The Capital / The Mini
The Lee
The Classic
The Cameo
The Palace
The Savoy

TheScribbler

Nice to get the Cork memory list. Anyone any memories of suburban and rural cinemas in Cork eg Douglas, Kinsale, Midleton etc?

icdg

superfly wrote: »

are you talking about The Lighthouse and The Adelphi?

also the Carlton on O'Connell st

The Lighthouse (or at least, a cinema with the same title and idea) has recently reopened in Smithfield, though I don't know how its doing - it would seem to be a daft place for a cinema as its out of the way of the passing footfall and would probably only get people going there purposely and/or locals.

What about the Odeon on Eden Quay. That closed in the 1980s/early 1990s and eventually became the Laughter Lounge?

The legal name of the company operating the Virgin/UGC/Cineworld multiplex on Parnell Street was for many years still "Adelphi-Carlton Limited" reflecting its parentage as supposedly a merger of the two older cinemas. The company is still registered but I don't know if it is still running the cinema.

TheScribbler

I had quite forgotten about the Odeon. Can anyone help me out here. Was there a cinema in Dundrum town centre at one time? There was also one in Ranelagh I seem to recall

chakotha

TheScribbler wrote: »

Nice to get the Cork memory list. Anyone any memories of suburban and rural cinemas in Cork eg Douglas, Kinsale, Midleton etc?

There was the Oakwood in Carrigaline. That's the only one I might know of.

The Coliseum was another one in Cork even if yeeears ago.

superfly

icdg wrote: »

What about the Odeon on Eden Quay. That closed in the 1980s/early 1990s and eventually became the Laughter Lounge?

that became Astor Video (i think?) in the 90's

admiralofthefleet

i remember seeing who framed roger rabbit in the fairview cinema in 1988, it still operates as a cinema but not to the public

Papillon!

living close to the old stella in rathmines now. wish it was still open but found out on boards that theres a new cinema in progress of being built now so im happy.

remember going to the blue moon cinema in roscommon a couple of times as a kid. dingy old place that scared the bejaysus out of me but would love to go back and see it again! we've no cinema at all in roscommon now.its a crime!:eek:

TheScribbler

I gather that Wicklow doesn't have one either pending some new multiplex's being completed

TheScribbler

The old Stella in Rathmines was wonderful even if it was a bit dog eared. It was of its time! I haven't heard from too many beople in West of Ireland about nostalgic cinemas. I wonder if people in Donegal, Mayo and Galway might also let us have their memories.

Fey!

In Galway we had the Claddagh Palace (formerly the Estoria), which hosted the Galway Film Fleadh up to its demise, when it became yet more apartments. I fondly remember pulling pints in the marque in the carpark during the Fleadh, and the guy who was always busking as you queued outside before each film.

We also had the Town Hall, which was done up and is now our local theatre.

Both of these places were pretty dirty and nasty!

preamp

Anyone remember the forum in Glasthule, Dun Laoghaire, its gone a good few years now though

transylman

TheScribbler wrote: »

The old Stella in Rathmines was wonderful even if it was a bit dog eared. It was of its time! I haven't heard from too many beople in West of Ireland about nostalgic cinemas. I wonder if people in Donegal, Mayo and Galway might also let us have their memories.

Ballyhaunis was a nice classic 2 screen cinema. Compared to modern cinemas the main theater seemed huge. There were also no age restrictions so I got to watch 18s movies in ns. Before the film started they used to show a rotating film with pictures of old planes flying over skyscrapers.

Only problem was it was weeks behind on the new releases and that seemed to get worse (or at least more noticeable) as the years went on, until it closed around 2000 i think.

TheScribbler

I remember the Forum in Glasthule back in the 60s & 70s when it tried to become an art cinema but wasn't especially good at it. The routine was often one of grabbing a wimpy in Dun Laoghaire, off to the Forum and then on to the Queens in Dalkey

ghost_ie

The old Fairview Cinema where we spent happy Saturday afternoons watching James Bond. And I remember being taken to the cinema in Grafton Street to watch cartoons as a Christmas treat in the late 50's early 60's. Wasn't there a cinema in Talbot Street in the 60's called Cinerama?

TheScribbler

You are right about the Cinerama in Talbot Street. It was nestled under the railway bridge. I went to see 'Paint Your Wagon' There (or as my girlfriend at the time called it - 'Paint Your Wogan.' I can't remember what the cinema was originally called. Was it the Talbot?

babbler

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

The one in Lucan down by the bridge

And what was the other one on Abbey St, with the tiny screen upstairs with all the foreign films ? Diva and Betty Blue were each there for ages

And the other other one in Abbey St. which had Mad Max for ages too.

I went to see Diva with my class in school to that cinema - it wasn't the Adelphi was it? I saw ET in the Adelphi and there were so many people waiting, the queue went up Abbey St and around the corner to O'Connell St. We missed the first showing 'cos of the queue and I went to the GPO to ring home to say I would be late. When we finally got to the door of the cinema, all I could see were people bawling their eyes out coming out from the film.

Glas Smaragaide

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

The one in Lucan down by the bridge

And what was the other one on Abbey St, with the tiny screen upstairs with all the foreign films ? Diva and Betty Blue were each there for ages

And the other other one in Abbey St. which had Mad Max for ages too.

It was called the Curzon (a 2 screen site) and they played Diva for 2 years straight to packed out audiences every night. The French ambassador came over for one of the shows of that film! Unfortunately it went the same way as alot of the older cinemas in the mid 80's but they were great days when they lasted

120_Minutes

The ritz in athlone which closed in the 80's. i only ever went there once as a kid to see jungle book.

then the showcase 4 screen cinema where the texas centre now is. i used to work there as a leaving cert/college student, my dad also managed it. he still has a few posters, trailers and single movie frames from the place.

r3nu4l

TheScribbler wrote: »

That is as far as my uncertain memory takes me. Any others folks?

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

The one in Lucan down by the bridge

there's a whole thread on the cinema in Lucan in the Dublin County West forum, including a picture of the cinema The new Ulster Bank stands on the old site now.

I used to love going there although towards the end it was a bit grim alright, leaks in the ceiling and the odd rat, as well as the freezing cold. Great times though!! I miss it