Cinema Week: Mary Street Cinema

I took these pictures on a lovely sunny summer's day. The building is now covered with tarpaulin and scaffolding so it's just as well! The Mary Street Cinema (known forever by locals as 'the Mero') was founded by John J. Farrell in December 1912. As we've seen with many cinemas of the time, the interior was very decorative - the Mero had a richly embellished carved ceiling to its name.

On 26 November 1928 an unknown ruffian left off several stink bombs. Unfortunately the cinema patrons thought the smoke signified fire, prompting a rush for the exit. the cinema was badly damaged and several people were injured.


The Mero was known for its somewhat rough clientele but it was nonetheless popular for many years. It closed on 11 January 1959, and the building now houses AXA Insurance offices.



References:
RTÉ Stills Library
Jim Keenan, Dublin Cinemas: A Pictorial Selection

Thanks to NoDisko on Twitter for the reminder of the Mero!

Tomorrow: The Savoy