Cinema Week: Pillar Cinema

At this stage you might be getting good at spotting former cinemas without my help! This branch of McDonalds on Upper O'Connell Street was the Pillar Cinema from December 1914, when it was opened by John J. Farrell. Named after nearby Nelson's Pillar, it was one of the smaller cinemas we've looked at here with only 400 seats. It occupied quite a large space though, extending all the way back to Henry Place.

The foyer was pannelled in walnut and satinwood with a richly adorned ceiling, complete with a leaded glass dome. Bullet holes from the 1916 Rising are visible on the upper exterior of the building even today.

When the cinema closed in 1945 the premises became a well known ice-cream parlour. Now it's just a particularly fancy branch of a fast food restaurant - doesn't the McDonalds sign complement the facade nicely?

References:
RTÉ Stills Library
Jim Keenan, Dublin Cinemas: A Pictorial Selection
Frank Bailey Papers, NUI Galway

Tomorrow: Mary Street Cinema