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End of an era
Demolition of Dublin's iconic Screen cinema begins
The much-loved cinema had been out of use since its closure in 2016.
THE DEMOLITION HAS begun of Dublin’s iconic Screen cinema.
The building, situated just north of Trinity College and south of the Liffey at the junction of Hawkins and Townsend Streets, had proven something of a cultural landmark since its opening in the 1980s, but had been out of use since the cinema’s closure in 2016.
The demolition had been in the works for some time. Last December, Dublin City Council provided planning approval for the demolition of the existing complex and the construction of a 10-storey mixed-office building.
A 500-seater venue, together with a café, shops, and a restaurant, is also planned for the ground-floor of the site.
The cinema had begun operations (as the Screen, having existed in differing guises previously) in 1984 as a sister venue to O’Connell Street’s Savoy, and tended to focus on independent and Irish cinema, together with the screening of classic films on occasion.
Given its focus on the non-mainstream, the three-screen venue was held in high affection by cinephiles for many years.
Its closure in 2016 resulted from falling ticket sales.
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