There are ads for the “Irvinestown” Cinema as early as 1945 and with the same phone number (Tel. 242) so it is highly likely this was the same business.
The cinema is now run by The Arc Cinema but still trades under Empire Movieplex. It reopened in June 2021 presumably having been refurbished by the new owners. It was previously owned by the Galvin family with the Empire company having been set up in April 1996, therefore I would imagine the original opening date was pretty close to that. Cinema is at 36 Parnell Street, V95 YX8F.
The cinema has a specially commissioned mural by artist Dale Lewis representing not only famous characters from the past, but figures who represent the many communities that live in the area today. Emmeline Pankhurst is featured along with Bob Marley who played at the Rainbow Theatre in the 1970s.
The cinema had opened by July 1931, taken over by the Roscrea & Athy Cinema Company and reopened on 29 June 1937 after a short spell of closure for upgrading. Final closure planned for end of February 1976.
The cinema opened 27 March 1932 with ‘Condemned’ starring Ronald Coleman. In use as a bingo hall during mid-1970s. Proprietor Patrick Delahunty of the New Cinema in Thurles.
Capitol opened 7 February 1949, the first Question Time for Radio Eirann was broadcast from here the following week. Seating for 1,100 (208 balcony, 500 parterre and 400 front of parterre). Suitable for stage shows. Architect William Dwyer. Proprietors Capitol Cinemas directors Mr P. Farrell and Mr P. McGrath.
The New Cinema was located on Slievenamon Road and opened in 1924. It regularly advertised in the press from March 1925. Limerick Operatic Society performed here in 1927. Mr Delahunty was proud to announce the first talkie would be screened on 12 January 1930 which was Show Boat. It closed at the end of August 1977 with ‘101 Dalmations’ after 53 years. The site was earmarked for a car showroom. The New was ‘the wan below’ while the Capitol in the town was ‘the wan above.’
Opened 19 December 1944 with ‘Phantom of the Opera’. Operated by Tailteann Theatres, the company’s third cinema after the Savoys at Kells and Rush. Closed June 1974 reopened as the Europa 9 August 1974 with 800 seats, closed 1977.
This cinema has been mislabelled and should be the Tivoli as indicated in the overview. The Gaiety already has an entry on the site and was in Market Street (later Mitchell Street) in the Town Hall complex. There does not seem to have been a cinema on Main Street.
The Tivoli was already in business by May 1912 as the Tipperary Electric Theatre and also staged variety shows. A big occasion was in January 1913 when a reputed 600 children were treated toa special show. It was operating as the Tivoli Picture House by 1913 and was later described as the Tivoli Theatre in the 1920s. It is still referenced in the press until at least October 1942 although it wasn’t necessarily screening films. The original proprietor was Bryan O’Donnell, who along with the Picturedrome’s owner W.G. Evans was often mentioned in the press for operating without the appropriate licence. Henry Street was later renamed O'Brien Street.
The Gaiety closed in the early-1970s and reopened as the Aherlow Film Theatre on 14 January 1973. Plans to convert the theatre to a supermarket in 1976 came to nothing. Sadly the building, part of the old Town Hall complex, was gutted by fire on 3 January 1978 which marked the end for films. There is, however, a record of Sleeping Beauty having been staged there in 1986. Part of the Tower Ballroom and also the Excel cinema, which had recently reopened, were also damaged in the fire. The auditorium may have been the same one where the Picturedrome was based, having moved to the Town hall complex after a fire at its James Street premises.
The Picturedrome opened on 31 January 1916, apparently as the Tipperary Picture Palace, with a screening of the Johnson-Willard fight of the time. The big Irish flick ‘Knocknagow’ was shown here in 1917 and Mary Connolly, the tenor, performed in 1919. It had a ground floor and two balconies, but the house burned down on 31 January 1921. Proprietor William Evans, who previously had owned a motor garage, moved the operation to the Town Hall the following month taking out a lease. This too was gutted by fire on 18 October 1941. His sons Herbert and Edgar were already running the Excel next door which opened the previous year so the hall had mainly been used for dances and plays after that. Only the clock tower remains with the rest of the site being the entrance to a supermarket car park.
At one point there seems to have been some connection with Greater Union and Village Roadshow, hence this is on the Warner Cinemas 100 list which gives the opening date as 28 September 1994 with 8 screens and 2415 seats. According to the Event Cinemas website it still has 8 screens.
At one point this appears to have been a joint venture between Event and Village Roadshow, hence the Warner Cinemas 100 list states it opened on 19 December 1996 with 8 screens and 2076 seats.
According to the Warner Cinemas 100 list it opened on 18 December 1997 with 20 screens and 4484 seats. Most likely this is a takeover date as overview suggests it was originally a 10-screen cinema.
Frontage decorated with a mural in 2019 by Dublin artist ADW (see additional photo) inspired by the film Into the West. Cinema had been used in the film which was subsequently shown in the church next door.
The cinema did indeed close on 30 June 2013 but for digitisation. It relaunched on 23 November that year with free screenings of Casablanca, Monsters University and Mamma Mia.
There are ads for the “Irvinestown” Cinema as early as 1945 and with the same phone number (Tel. 242) so it is highly likely this was the same business.
The cinema is now run by The Arc Cinema but still trades under Empire Movieplex. It reopened in June 2021 presumably having been refurbished by the new owners. It was previously owned by the Galvin family with the Empire company having been set up in April 1996, therefore I would imagine the original opening date was pretty close to that. Cinema is at 36 Parnell Street, V95 YX8F.
The cinema has a specially commissioned mural by artist Dale Lewis representing not only famous characters from the past, but figures who represent the many communities that live in the area today. Emmeline Pankhurst is featured along with Bob Marley who played at the Rainbow Theatre in the 1970s.
First reference in the press 1956, last 1965.
The cinema had opened by July 1931, taken over by the Roscrea & Athy Cinema Company and reopened on 29 June 1937 after a short spell of closure for upgrading. Final closure planned for end of February 1976.
The cinema opened 27 March 1932 with ‘Condemned’ starring Ronald Coleman. In use as a bingo hall during mid-1970s. Proprietor Patrick Delahunty of the New Cinema in Thurles.
Capitol opened 7 February 1949, the first Question Time for Radio Eirann was broadcast from here the following week. Seating for 1,100 (208 balcony, 500 parterre and 400 front of parterre). Suitable for stage shows. Architect William Dwyer. Proprietors Capitol Cinemas directors Mr P. Farrell and Mr P. McGrath.
The New Cinema was located on Slievenamon Road and opened in 1924. It regularly advertised in the press from March 1925. Limerick Operatic Society performed here in 1927. Mr Delahunty was proud to announce the first talkie would be screened on 12 January 1930 which was Show Boat. It closed at the end of August 1977 with ‘101 Dalmations’ after 53 years. The site was earmarked for a car showroom. The New was ‘the wan below’ while the Capitol in the town was ‘the wan above.’
Opened 27 January 1919 with ‘Rafferty’s Rise’. Raided by police on 16 April 1919 who seized a copy of the Sinn Fein Review.
Opened 19 December 1944 with ‘Phantom of the Opera’. Operated by Tailteann Theatres, the company’s third cinema after the Savoys at Kells and Rush. Closed June 1974 reopened as the Europa 9 August 1974 with 800 seats, closed 1977.
This cinema has been mislabelled and should be the Tivoli as indicated in the overview. The Gaiety already has an entry on the site and was in Market Street (later Mitchell Street) in the Town Hall complex. There does not seem to have been a cinema on Main Street.
The Tivoli was already in business by May 1912 as the Tipperary Electric Theatre and also staged variety shows. A big occasion was in January 1913 when a reputed 600 children were treated toa special show. It was operating as the Tivoli Picture House by 1913 and was later described as the Tivoli Theatre in the 1920s. It is still referenced in the press until at least October 1942 although it wasn’t necessarily screening films. The original proprietor was Bryan O’Donnell, who along with the Picturedrome’s owner W.G. Evans was often mentioned in the press for operating without the appropriate licence. Henry Street was later renamed O'Brien Street.
The Gaiety closed in the early-1970s and reopened as the Aherlow Film Theatre on 14 January 1973. Plans to convert the theatre to a supermarket in 1976 came to nothing. Sadly the building, part of the old Town Hall complex, was gutted by fire on 3 January 1978 which marked the end for films. There is, however, a record of Sleeping Beauty having been staged there in 1986. Part of the Tower Ballroom and also the Excel cinema, which had recently reopened, were also damaged in the fire. The auditorium may have been the same one where the Picturedrome was based, having moved to the Town hall complex after a fire at its James Street premises.
Run by Herbert and Edgar Evans, sons of William Evans from the Picturedrome. Already screening films by July 1940.
The Picturedrome opened on 31 January 1916, apparently as the Tipperary Picture Palace, with a screening of the Johnson-Willard fight of the time. The big Irish flick ‘Knocknagow’ was shown here in 1917 and Mary Connolly, the tenor, performed in 1919. It had a ground floor and two balconies, but the house burned down on 31 January 1921. Proprietor William Evans, who previously had owned a motor garage, moved the operation to the Town Hall the following month taking out a lease. This too was gutted by fire on 18 October 1941. His sons Herbert and Edgar were already running the Excel next door which opened the previous year so the hall had mainly been used for dances and plays after that. Only the clock tower remains with the rest of the site being the entrance to a supermarket car park.
The Warner Cinemas 100 list gives the opening date as 22 March 1991 with (at the time)7 screens and 2204 seats.
At one point there seems to have been some connection with Greater Union and Village Roadshow, hence this is on the Warner Cinemas 100 list which gives the opening date as 28 September 1994 with 8 screens and 2415 seats. According to the Event Cinemas website it still has 8 screens.
At one point this appears to have been a joint venture between Event and Village Roadshow, hence the Warner Cinemas 100 list states it opened on 19 December 1996 with 8 screens and 2076 seats.
According to the Warner Cinemas 100 list it opened on 25 August 1998 with 10 screens and 2068 seats.
According to the Warner Cinemas 100 list it opened on 18 December 1997 with 20 screens and 4484 seats. Most likely this is a takeover date as overview suggests it was originally a 10-screen cinema.
According to the Warner Cinemas 100 list it opened on 6 September 1990. Seating given as 3228 with 16 screens.
In use as a hardware store mid-1990s but demolished, apart from the from wall, by March 2019
Frontage decorated with a mural in 2019 by Dublin artist ADW (see additional photo) inspired by the film Into the West. Cinema had been used in the film which was subsequently shown in the church next door.
The cinema did indeed close on 30 June 2013 but for digitisation. It relaunched on 23 November that year with free screenings of Casablanca, Monsters University and Mamma Mia.
The hardware store moved to new premises in 2019. There are calls to return the building to theatre or even museum use.
The Cineplex was taken over by Omniplex in January 2020 and rebranded.