New Omniplex Drogheda

Dub in Louth · 03-10-2012 3:15pm #1

Looks like we might have three new cinemas in Drogheda. Overkill???

http://www.omniplex.ie/cinema/press/

blingrhino · 03-10-2012 4:01pm

subject to planning permission .........;)

delly · 03-10-2012 4:17pm

Great news, they seem serious enough and it will be in a perfect location to draw in a wide net along with keeping the traffic in check.

Lord TSC · 03-10-2012 5:13pm

Hopefully they don't let it turn into the kip they already have in Drogheda....

Dingatron · 03-10-2012 5:37pm

Great to see a bit of competition. That OMNIPLEX MAXX looks interesting. There's been a few films I'd have loved to have seen in large format but I'm to lazy to travel that far.

gipi · 03-10-2012 8:18pm

Sounds great - wonder if it's going to replace the car showroom in the retail park that's lying idle at the mo?

What's the betting the retail park owners/landlords devise a method of car park charges if the cinema opens....?! (my naturally suspicious mind at work

)

04-10-2012 1:22am

You wait ages for one cinema, and three come along at once.

Always the way (I see none of them actually happening, by the way).

event · 05-10-2012 6:30pm

If they could actually show films during the day, that'd be great too

markc1184 · 06-10-2012 4:11pm

Where are the 3 cinemas planned for? This one in the retail park, the town centre and which is the 3rd?

Rossin · 06-10-2012 11:35pm

event wrote: »

If they could actually show films during the day, that'd be great too

or after 9.30 as well! even in dublin its rare

Dub in Louth · 07-10-2012 1:50pm

There is one planned for scotch hall phase two. Nama are due to decide soon if they are going to invest €20 million into a scaled down phase 2 with cinema and food court.

http://www.drogheda-independent.ie/local-notes/nama-may-fund-scotch-hall-work-3177148.html

CMpunked · 07-10-2012 4:04pm

Excellent!

Fair play to omniplex, they know there's a need here and they aren't messing around. The big screen appeal will be massive and deservedly so. I had a watch of the dark knight rises on an IMAX screen in manchester and that was 29metres high so 23 high would be phenomenal to have it on our doorstep.

And there is already tangible evidence this isn't a fad seeing as its been a success in antrim and cineworld in dublin has announced a return of imax.

Driving to dublin, swords or balbriggan for a flick is second nature at this stage so i welcome 2, 3, 4 or even more cinemas into the town. Competition and choice is needed.

Mylow · 08-10-2012 6:45pm

markc1184 wrote: »

Where are the 3 cinemas planned for? This one in the retail park, the town centre and which is the 3rd?

NAMA are supposed to spending money on finishing 2nd phase of Scotch Hall, cinema going there.

kormak · 09-10-2012 2:55pm

Ahhh... remember going to the auld Abbey Cinema... now there was a sh!thole!!
Great news all the same, Drogheda badly needs a decent picturehouse :-)

bryangiggsy · 11-10-2012 8:16am

CMpunked wrote: »

Excellent!

Fair play to omniplex, they know there's a need here and they aren't messing around. The big screen appeal will be massive and deservedly so. I had a watch of the dark knight rises on an IMAX screen in manchester and that was 29metres high so 23 high would be phenomenal to have it on our doorstep.

And there is already tangible evidence this isn't a fad seeing as its been a success in antrim and cineworld in dublin has announced a return of imax.

Driving to dublin, swords or balbriggan for a flick is second nature at this stage so i welcome 2, 3, 4 or even more cinemas into the town. Competition and choice is needed.

+1 Great news and long long overdue!!!

Chibs · 22-10-2012 4:38pm

I see a few people asking where abouts it will be. Came across this today. http://www.omniplex.ie/cinema/promo/omniplex-group-announces-new-5.5m-digital-cinema-investment-in-drogheda-wit

positron · 22-10-2012 9:30pm

Over the existing car parking spaces? Hmm I suppose there's plenty of parking elsewhere. I was expecting them to convert the old Opel showroom. But the retail park is a great location in any case. Great access from everywhere, and close to M1, plenty of parking - although not many places to eat other than KFC, which might change if this really happens.

Fingers crossed this actually goes ahead. I don't go to movies all that often, but I would if one had a IMAX or that size screen.

PS: I wonder if this is a strategic press release, just to deter NAMA from investing on the other one, which if goes ahead, would pretty much kill off Omniplex's current four screen cinema in town. Hmmmmm...

CMpunked · 22-10-2012 9:35pm

positron wrote: »

Over the existing car parking spaces? Hmm I suppose there's plenty of parking elsewhere. I was expecting them to convert the old Opel showroom. But the retail park is a great location in any case. Great access from everywhere, and close to M1, plenty of parking - although not many places to eat other than KFC, which might change if this really happens.

Fingers crossed this actually goes ahead. I don't go to movies all that often, but I would if one had a IMAX or that size screen.

Costa do some nice food and an atmosphere a polar opposite to kfc.

Chibs · 22-10-2012 10:40pm

positron wrote: »

Over the existing car parking spaces? Hmm I suppose there's plenty of parking elsewhere. I was expecting them to convert the old Opel showroom. But the retail park is a great location in any case. Great access from everywhere, and close to M1, plenty of parking - although not many places to eat other than KFC, which might change if this really happens.

Fingers crossed this actually goes ahead. I don't go to movies all that often, but I would if one had a IMAX or that size screen.

PS: I wonder if this is a strategic press release, just to deter NAMA from investing on the other one, which if goes ahead, would pretty much kill off Omniplex's current four screen cinema in town. Hmmmmm...

There is a write up in this months Click magazine about the cinema and it says that they're keeping other one in the boyne center open.

positron · 24-10-2012 10:41am

CMpunked wrote: »

Costa do some nice food and an atmosphere a polar opposite to kfc.

Of course, I forgot about them. Thanks.

gipi · 24-10-2012 3:24pm

There is also the coffee shop/café in Tesco's car park (La Vida Moca?) which wouldn't be too far away from the proposed cinema location.

Maybe there'll be a coffee shop/eatery in the new cinema itself?

blingrhino · 24-10-2012 3:46pm

Existing cinema in boyne shopping centre.

planning permission for the 2 nd phase of scotch hall features cinema inclusion.

planning permission in drogheda town centre and building work commenced.

and now planning sought for cinemas in the retail park :eek:

shades of old , with permission granted for four shopping centres in drogheda and all half empty - bad planning if all three others go ahead me thinks.

furiousox · 24-10-2012 4:02pm

gipi wrote: »

There is also the coffee shop/café in Tesco's car park (La Vida Moca?)...

Closed for a good few weeks now.

gipi · 24-10-2012 7:04pm

Thanks furiousox,

Didn't know it was closed (it's a while since I was at that side of the car park).

Dub in Louth · 31-10-2012 11:28pm

Omniplex would want to get a move on with their planning permission. Looks like the town centre cinema is full steam ahead with Odeon signing a lease to operate the cinema.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/1031/1224325931401.html

CMpunked · 31-10-2012 11:44pm

Dub in Louth wrote: »

Omniplex would want to get a move on with their planning permission. Looks like the town centre cinema is full steam ahead with Odeon signing a lease to operate the cinema.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/1031/1224325931401.html

Odeon?!

SWEET!

:D

Bazsutto · 14-11-2012 3:35pm

Scotch hall phase 2 confirmed today. Work to commence in early 2013 and due to complete by late 2014.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/1114/drogheda-shopping-centre-20m-expansion-approved-business.html

blingrhino · 14-11-2012 5:06pm

bloody disgrace , 5 half empty shopping centres in drogheda and now they are spending OUR money on phase 2

furiousox · 14-11-2012 5:15pm

I thought the same initially, I mean what's the point of "Scotch Hall Phase 2" when "Scotch Hall Phase 1" is half empty?
But according to the link above phase 2 is going to be the cinema plus food outlets, not retail.

positron · 14-11-2012 5:29pm

I think it would be nice thing - plenty of parking, decent location (okay, retail park would have been better, but this brings more people to closer to the heart of the town), and might save Scotch Hall over all - a bit like Pavilions Swords I suppose.

CMpunked · 14-11-2012 5:31pm

furiousox wrote: »

I thought the same initially, I mean what's the point of "Scotch Hall Phase 2" when "Scotch Hall Phase 1" is half empty?
But according to the link above phase 2 is going to be the cinema plus food outlets, not retail.

It will still have retail.

Thing which I don't get is how empty will scotch hall part 1 be come late 2014?
They better start putting the word out that they have dropped their rent prices or something soon and get a few high profile tenants that they've lost in the last few months/years.

15-11-2012 9:21am

blingrhino wrote: »

bloody disgrace , 5 half empty shopping centres in drogheda and now they are spending OUR money on phase 2

Or else a very positive move to get people into the town centre rather than retail outlets. The spin off from those going to the cinema will benefit other businesses in the vicinity and bring some life into the town. Very benificial for Drogheda and with so many people going to the pavilions for the cinema it should bring a lot more people back into the town.

furiousox · 15-11-2012 9:38am

I honestly don't think there's enough local population to support 4 cinemas

(Existing Omniplex, new Omniplex, Town Centre Odeon, Scotch Hall)

They'll more than likely all be showing the same films at the same times (more or less) and people will soon settle on one venue they like more than the others and go there.
It would be a shame to have 4 cinemas running and for 2 of them to shut down within 12 months.
I don't understand why there's never been a decent cinema in Drogheda and suddenly we will have 3, why didn't the Odeon open up a few years ago when everything was booming?

positron · 15-11-2012 10:19am

Cynic in me still thinks the news release about of a new Omniplex was just a strategic move to attempt to discourage NAMA from approving Scotch Hall Phase 2. I hope I am proven wrong, as I would love to see a movies at a large size screen in Drogheda, but I don't know, when something sound too good to be true, it usually is.

blingrhino · 15-11-2012 10:29am

Work has started on the cinemas in the town centre positron so definely going ahead .

positron · 15-11-2012 10:35am

Okay, but I was referring to the Omniplex MAX announced near Homebase/HardlyNormal. Have they started works on that one too? Again, I would love to be proven wrong as we could certainly do with more jobs and activity.

Retro Police · 15-11-2012 12:07pm

Some lessons are never learned.

They can't fill the units in scotch hall phase 1, never mind a phase two. Even if there are no retail spaces included in the new plans and the building is purely for cinema and food outlets, it's still nonsense. Work is well underway on the new cinema in the town centre by the looks of things (a move that you would hope would reinvigorate the west street area) and there's hardly a shortage of restaurants/cafes etc in the town. What's worse is that this white elephant is not being funded by a company, instead it's tax money going to waste. Normally I'm all for extra shops/businesses coming to the town but this is stupidity of the highest order.

bryangiggsy · 16-11-2012 2:10pm

From what i read in paper...scotchhall phase 2 cinmea...has not even got a tenant eg...vue,odean,savoy etc....who is going to rent it with 2 other new cinemas opeing up. My preference would be build the big one at Homebase were parking is ample and free..and continue with the smaller one in the town centre...forget about scotch hall and the boyne one will prob end up showing alternative movies. (personally i think it should be raised to the ground)
I hope omniplex drive on with thier plans. Its a retail park.so planning permission should be a walk no?

peejay1986 · 16-11-2012 2:58pm

I'm constantly hearing the argument that 'Scotch Hall has empty lots, so how are they going to fill new ones'. The greater the footfall in the centre, the greater demand there will be for lots. Getting a cinema and restaurants in to Scotch Hall is the best thing they could do for the place. People will go there for the cinema/restaurant and might pop in to a shop on the way in/out, when otherwise they wouldn't be in the Centre. I personally think Phase 2 is a great idea. Phase 1 was badly planned and should've included food outlets from the start.

Am I right in saying, that even if the Scotch Hall, Retail Park and Odeon cinemas get the go ahead, that the Boyne Centre cinema will also remain?

blingrhino · 16-11-2012 3:22pm

peejay1986 wrote: »

I'm constantly hearing the argument that 'Scotch Hall has empty lots, so how are they going to fill new ones'. The greater the footfall in the centre, the greater demand there will be for lots. Getting a cinema and restaurants in to Scotch Hall is the best thing they could do for the place. People will go there for the cinema/restaurant and might pop in to a shop on the way in/out, when otherwise they wouldn't be in the Centre. I personally think Phase 2 is a great idea. Phase 1 was badly planned and should've included food outlets from the start.

Am I right in saying, that even if the Scotch Hall, Retail Park and Odeon cinemas get the go ahead, that the Boyne Centre cinema will also remain?

Well why risk it?-its not exactly peanuts we are playing with ,and as said before not privately funded either.
if there was no alternative then yes it would be good for the town .
incidently the town centre cinema will not be a small operation ,five screens intially with planning sought for a further 4 and one of the five is some new wide hd ****e thats meant to be fab .

peejay1986 · 16-11-2012 3:40pm

blingrhino wrote: »

Well why risk it?-its not exactly peanuts we are playing with ,and as said before not privately funded either.
if there was no alternative then yes it would be good for the town .
incidently the town centre cinema will not be a small operation ,five screens intially with planning sought for a further 4 and one of the five is some new wide hd ****e thats meant to be fab .

In my opinion, either putting the cinema in or Scotch Hall will deserted in a handful of years. There's not enough decent shops to attract customers and unless the footfall increases, then the big retailers have no reason to open up business there.

I can't see Omniplex doing this to themselves. Anyone with a brain can see that having 4 cinemas in the town is too many. Surely there'll pull the plug on one.

I think the Scotch Hall one is a winner though. Just thinking personally here - I can imagine myself heading up for some food (if decent food outlets open - GBK, Nandos etc) and then going to the cinema. Make a night of it. You can't really do that in the retail park, although it has the convenience factor for those coming from outside the town.

kormak · 16-11-2012 3:42pm

peejay1986 wrote: »

I can imagine myself heading up for some food (if decent food outlets open - GBK, Nandos etc) and then going to the cinema. Make a night of it. You can't really do that in the retail park, although it has the convenience factor for those coming from outside the town.

and then Wm Cairnes for a creamy pint of plain afterwards...

Dub in Louth · 16-11-2012 5:38pm

bryangiggsy wrote: »

From what i read in paper...scotchhall phase 2 cinmea...has not even got a tenant eg...vue,odean,savoy etc....who is going to rent it with 2 other new cinemas opeing up. My preference would be build the big one at Homebase were parking is ample and free..and continue with the smaller one in the town centre...forget about scotch hall and the boyne one will prob end up showing alternative movies. (personally i think it should be raised to the ground)
I hope omniplex drive on with thier plans. Its a retail park.so planning permission should be a walk no?

I read that the "Eye" cinema chain from Galway is the tenant for the Scotch Hall cinema. Seems to be a decent cinema that shows mainstream and also Arthouse films. www.eyecinema.ie
For my two cents, I am all for the scotch hall plans. There is a lot of work already done and along with some decent food offerings and maybe a new anchor tenant (Debenhams maybe), I think it will bring the footfall it needs.
I think the Omniplex will not go ahead.

http://www.retailexcellence.ie/index.php/news/20m-expansion-of-drogheda-shopping-centre-approved-by-nama/

CMpunked · 16-11-2012 8:39pm

blingrhino wrote: »

five screens intially with planning sought for a further 4 and one of the five is some new wide hd ****e thats meant to be fab .

iSense?

hawkwind23 · 16-11-2012 8:55pm

no wonder the town is empty , the greed and shortsightedness of the council.
the toll is a big factor but what winds me up the most is the parking.
every inch of tarmac is zoned for miles around the town.
id go in more often if you could park for free

CMpunked · 16-11-2012 9:01pm

hawkwind23 wrote: »

no wonder the town is empty , the greed and shortsightedness of the council.
the toll is a big factor but what winds me up the most is the parking.
every inch of tarmac is zoned for miles around the town.
id go in more often if you could park for free

Scotch hall is 2 hours for a euro, free after 5 and sundays/bank holidays.

Lord TSC · 17-11-2012 10:54am

Parking is going to be a huge factor, though not in terms of price imo.

Has there been any word about the outdoor car park in Scotch Hall and it's future? The closure of the outdoor park, and the subsequent push to force people to park in the indoor labyrinth, is what killed SH last time. I worry if they close off the current outdoor one, it will only serve to turn people away from the cinema. If they keep it open, then I think it stands a good chance of reinvigorating the entire shopping complex and move it back towards the glory it experienced a few years back.

Likewise, I worry about the parking in the West Street one; the town center car park is often full enough without dealing with the added traffic brought on by a cinema. I don't know if they could physically expand the current car park. As such, I think their current market will have to be people who are already going into town for other things, and as such, their opening times are going to be the deciding factor in it's success; if people are going into town, they might go if there's something on at the same time. But then cinemas in Ireland aren't always prone to having morning and early afternoon screenings.

I have a feeling that the one up at Argos will thus be the most successful. It's going to have the parking, it's located in an already busy area, and they seem to be pushing about how "nice" and high-tech it's going to be. In terms of location and parking (free, at that), it's got the advantage over the other two.

From a consumer point of view though, it's great to be going from one kip of a cinema to being spoiled for choice

CMpunked · 17-11-2012 11:02am

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

Parking is going to be a huge factor, though not in terms of price imo.

Has there been any word about the outdoor car park in Scotch Hall and it's future?

They have said there will be a 200 car park space built in the new section. They will need to for the hotel. Surely it can't be without a 24/7 accesible car park.
My guess is that the section which is walled in opposite the current scotch hall building will have its footprint as the new car park and then when they have that built and ready to be fitted out the existing ground car park will be done away with and they will work in that area.

hawkwind23 · 18-11-2012 6:06pm

thanks for the info on the parking , checked it today , very good.
a forward step , in my case its about 5 quid fuel to get in and back and 4 or 5 quid parking meant I tended not to go as often

flyswatter · 23-11-2012 3:05pm

This is the kind of thinking that makes sense in Drogheda.

damingo · 02-12-2012 4:30pm

The Omniplex is trying to get planning permission for the big screen at harveynorman, a few objections have been put in to hold things up but its definitely going ahead. Its going to be the only one of its kind in the republic people will come from all over to use it an its right on the M1 so patrons wont even come into the town. The omniplex at the boyne centre is in the processs of getting digital screens and will be still open for at least the next 5 years because they signed a lease before all the competition started. I think its great to have scotch hall finally finished and a cinema is badly needed in the centre of the town. As for the town centre putting in cinemas is ridiculous, the reason being is that they are trying to get people back into the centre and this is their solution to build a 5 screen cinema that only holds about 100 people each, which is roughly the size of screen two in the existing ominplex. they should focus on getting better shops in the f*****g thing I queued for an hour outside hollister in Belfast and the accents in the queue were from all over the country. They should put in unusual but popular shops like Hollister, disney shop etc.

New Omniplex Drogheda

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