Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Tourist Advice for Dublin Ireland

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 08-30-2008, 07:46 PM:

I'm going to be in Dublin for a few days. Looking for:

Best place to see a movie
Old (pre-1970's) movie theaters (whether they are still theaters or not)
Interesting theaters outside of Dublin, or any in the country I MUST see.

I've got no idea how cinema grew up in Ireland, so don't know how to hunt down old theaters or what to look for. As far as new theaters how are they different from American multiplexes? What's the digital to film ratio?

What should I see that I haven't asked about?

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 08-31-2008, 04:16 AM:

I'm sure Brian Guckian will be along in a minute to give you chapter and verse, but in the meantime the Irish Film Institute should definitely be on your list. It includes both a 70mm cinema and the country's national film archive.

Posted by Brian Guckian (Member # 1678) on 09-01-2008, 06:50 AM:

Good recommendation Leo, and if you call in there Martin I'm sure they'd be happy to show you around - they have two screens, served by a DP70 and two Century machines. Also at the rear of their building is a large square used to show outdoor films as part of the annual "Diversions" festival run by the Temple Bar Cultural Trust.

They also have a very good bookshop at the IFI and I recommend purchasing a copy (should still be available) of The History of Dublin Cinemas by Marc Zimmermann, Nonsuch Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84588-509-0. This is an excellent guide to Dublin cinemas past and present, has many photographs and gives current addresses for each site. The facades of many former Dublin cinemas remain, even where converted to other uses.

As well as the IFI, make sure to visit the Savoy Cinema on Dublin's main thoroughfare, O'Connell St. This is one of the last remaining traditional cinemas, and though long split into smaller auditoria, still retains its impressive No. 1 screen in the former stalls area, complete with tabs, very large shallow curved screen (around 60ft on Scope) and traditional presentation with house break, etc.

Just across the street is the presently-disused Carlton Cinema with art deco facade and at the top of the street is the former Ambassador Cinema, housed in a distinctive "rotunda"-style building.

On a side street, Mary St., is the site of the historic Volta Electric Theatre, recorded as Ireland's first dedicated cinema. This has an interesting connection with the famous writer James Joyce, as he actually established it, then managed it for a time. The building has been demolished since the 1960s, but a plaque records the site, at No. 45 Mary St.

About 10 minutes walk from the IFI is the former Theatre DeLuxe on Camden St. This is now a hotel / bar / restaurant (known as the Camden De Luxe), but retains its distinctive art deco facade.

It's also worth taking a look at the new Lighthouse Cinema in the Smithfield area of Dublin. This is about 10 minutes to the west of the city centre by tram (take the Red Line tram to the Smithfield stop) and is a continental European-style arthouse cinema in a contemporary design.

For modern multiplexes, the Cineworld 17-screen complex in Parnell St. (about 10 minutes walk from the Savoy) is well worth visiting; their Screen 17 is impressive for its size...and built in the space occupied by the city's former IMAX cinema.

Regrettably, outside Dublin there is little in the way of distinctive cinemas (that I can think of, anyway). Ireland has followed a mostly Americanised pattern of development in the last 20 years or so (probably due to the history of emigration) so that the outlying towns and cities now all have rather featureless multiplexes...there is NO difference to the US...and with ring roads and McDonalds outlets to complete the picture, you may have to pinch yourself to check that you've actually left home!

That said, there are a lot of municipal arts centres that have been established in the last 15 years and these often use restored theatres and run films once a week or so.

There are also one or two old cinema buildings left in the cities of Cork and Limerick - the Savoy in the former (now a shopping complex) and the Royal in Limerick (semi-derelict I think).

Digital penetration isn't high here (despite the hype [Roll Eyes]

) - c.94% of screens are still film-based (using Jan 08 figures) and not all the digital screens are operational, or operational continuously. Furthermore, one cinema I know has actually removed its digital projectors recently.

Finally, you're more than welcome to PM me when you're over and I'll treat you to a pint of the "black stuff" - begorrah!

[ 09-01-2008, 07:56 AM: Message edited by: Brian Guckian ]

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 09-01-2008, 09:32 AM:

Brian, thanks for the tips and the invite. I hope to have a day dedicated to cinemas (or at least use them as destinations for walking around). I hope we can get together for a drink.

Posted by Brian Guckian (Member # 1678) on 09-01-2008, 02:24 PM:

No problem, and indeed there's plenty of other stuff to see too.

Have a good trip!

Posted by Jonathan Worthing (Member # 803) on 09-03-2008, 09:22 AM:

Warning

If you are in Dublin of a night.

Try not to drink to much of the Guinness.
You will start to see the leprechauns around every corner [beer]

.

On a serious note one of the best city's in one of the best country's I have ever visited.

Have a blast. [thumbsup]

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 09-03-2008, 12:24 PM:

Does anyone in Ireland drink a "Black and Tan" (Guiness Draught topped over Bass) or a "Half and Half" (Guiness Draught topped over Harp)? Or that something you only find "Yankees" drinking?

Posted by Brian Guckian (Member # 1678) on 09-04-2008, 11:46 AM:

Mr. Worthing there are Leprechauns around every corner even when people are sober!...LOL I'll say no more [Wink]

"Black and Tan" and "Half and Half" - not terms I'm familiar with Bobby, maybe it's an Irish-American thing. Over here you used to find people drinking "Guiness and blackcurrant" as a variation on the norm. The popularity of the drink is also waning with the onslaught of continental European beers but remains popular worldwide of course.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 09-04-2008, 12:49 PM:

Here in the US the term "Black and Tan" is used somewhat loosely. A true Black and Tan or Half and Half uses only the beers I mentioned before.

Guiness Draught will float on top of any blond lager or pale ale if it is poured properly. It will even float above many red or brown beers too. Lots of people do a bit of a double-take when seeing the visual of a two-toned beer in a big mug -with the very dark beer floating on the top.

There's a growing number of nicknames for different Black and Tan combinations for Guiness and a variety of other beers. For instance, Guiness over Shiner Blonde is called "An Irishman in Texas." Most people just call it a Black and Tan regardless of what lager or ale is used.

Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 09-04-2008, 07:20 PM:

I thought 'Black & Tan' was half Guiness and half cider. Or is that something else? [Confused]

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 09-04-2008, 07:49 PM:

Guiness and hard cider is sometimes referred to as a Black Velvet. Some people mistakenly call it a Snakebite, but a proper Snakebite drink recipe calls for half lager and half hard cider.

I apologize for the thread drift getting into the topic of beers, and Black and Tan drinks. I don't know if I have to blame my own Scots-Irish heritage on beer being a topic of interest.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 09-06-2008, 10:48 AM:

For what it is worth, Black & Tan was my gateway drink to Guiness Stout about 30 years ago. Took awhile to develop the taste for Guiness straight, but it's been my beer of preference for close to 3 decades. When I first moved to Montgomery 24 years ago, the nearest place selling Guiness in bottles was Selma, about 40 miles away. Anytime a friend had business there, he or she would have to pick me up a case. We are much more civilized now;>