A Drive Down Grafton Street

A quick post today on an amazing video posted on Youtube by Dubliner Max McQuillan. His dad and a friend filmed themselves driving from St Stephen's Green to Parnell Street (via now pedestrianised Grafton Street) in 1974. A wonderful glimpse of 1970s Dublin - keep an eye out for the Central Bank, under construction!

More details here.

Cinema Week: Carlton Cinema

For the last post this week I decided to take a look at one of the most visible old cinemas in Dublin. Located on Upper O'Connell Street, the Carlton facade still exists today almost exactly the same as it did during the theatre's heyday. It's still a theatre of sorts - part of the building is used by an XD simulator.

The first Carlton cinema was located at 52 O'Connell Street and opened in 1915. This cinema was closed in 1936 and the building demolished. The second incarnation of the Carlton took over the two buildings adjacent to No. 52 and reopened with 2,000 seats in 1938. The first film shown was The Awful Truth with Cary Grant.

The cinema was hugely popular, showing such fims as Rock Around the Clock (which had over 100,000 admissions during 1956). In later years it also became known as the House of Horror due to the amount of horror movies shown. Like the Adelphi, it staged many concerts during the 1970s by artists including Johnny Cash and Marlene Dietrich.

The Carlton finally closed, after several takeovers, in 1994. For old times sake, the last film shown there was the old favourite, Rock Around the Clock.

Thanks for reading this week!

References:
Picture: Bill Doyle, 1972
Jim Keenan, Dublin Cinemas: A Pictorial Selection

Cinema Week: The Savoy

Today's entry is a special one, as it's the only cinema I've talked about so far that is both a) still standing and b) operational.

The Savoy on O'Connell Street today hosts many Irish premieres, and it started life in an equally glamorous way. It was built by Associated Cinemas at a cost of £200,000 and was opened by President W.T. Cosgrave in November 1929. The site was formerly the location of the Crown and Granville hotels, which were both destroyed in the 1916 Rising.

With 2900 seats, it was the largest cinema in Ireland, and the expense lavished on its construction was evident. The interior was designed as a Venetian streetscape. Small lights were embedded in the blue ceiling of the auditiorium twinkled to depict a dusky star sprinkled sky. Despite the sophistication of the cinema's interior, perhaps the clientele's tastes were not quite its match - when Citizen Kane was released here it ran for less than a week.

In later years the Savoy became Ireland's first two screen cinema. It has changed hands many times and now is a six screen cinema. It's lovely to see a cinema with such a history which is still going today.



References:
Pictures: Irish Architectural Archive
Jim Keenan, Dublin Cinemas: A Pictorial Selection

Tomorrow: The Carlton

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

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

Cinema Week: The Adelphi

The Adelphi Cinema on Middle Abbet Street opened in January 1939 with a showing of The Adventures of Robin Hood, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Built on the site of the old Plaza ballroom, the cinema had over 2300 seats and proved incredibly popular with Dublin movie goers. In addition to this, it played host to many stars during visits to Dublin - Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and John Wayne all visited the Adelphi.

Like a lot of other cinemas, it also operated as a music venue. Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys were among those who played concerts there in the 1960s. Most famously though the Beatles' only Irish gig  took place at the Adelphi in November 1963. Their appearance prompted a near riot, and they had to be smuggled out of the venue in an Irish Independent newspaper van.

Although the cinema was subdivided into four screens by 1973, it declined throughout the 1980s and finally closed in 1995 - the last show being a screening of High Society. It's now part of the Arnotts store.



References:
Left: G.A. Duncan
Jim Keenan, Dublin Cinemas: A Pictorial Selection

Tomorrow: The Pillar