The History of the Regal Cinema, Ringsend
The closure of the Regal cinema in Ringsend marked the end of an era for the local community and film enthusiasts alike. This beloved establishment, which had been a cornerstone of entertainment and a cultural gathering spot for decades, shut its doors in 1965, leaving a void that was deeply felt by many. The cinema, known for its cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, and selection of both blockbuster hits and second run films, had been a cherished venue for moviegoers seeking a unique viewing experience outside the city centre multiplex circuit.
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The
reasons behind the closure of Ringsend cinema are multifaceted, reflecting
broader challenges within the cinema industry as well as local factors. The
rise of television, changing consumer habits, and the economic pressures of
maintaining a single-screen cinema in an era dominated by multiplexes and new
entertainment platforms have all contributed to its downfall. Moreover, the
impact of global events, including an oil crisis and a struggling economy had
exacerbated financial strains, making it increasingly difficult for small local
cinemas to survive.
As
the community mourned the loss of their Ringsend cinema, there is also a
rallying call for support of local arts and culture. The cinema's closure is a
stark reminder of the importance of patronizing and preserving such
institutions that add immeasurable value to the fabric of our communities.
While the screen may have gone dark in Ringsend, the memories and the impact it
has had on fostering a love for film and creating a sense of community will
endure. The hope remains that this isn't the final curtain call but rather a
pause before the next act in the ever-evolving story for a local cinema. The is
the Regal story.
The
cinema on Fitzwilliam Street was not the first to entertain the locals of the
area. In 1913 on the site where later the Ritz and the Oscar stood, the
Pembroke Electric Cinema opened its doors on Serpentine Road. Operated by an
Anthony Lavery, the cinema ingratiated itself with the local community when
they ran a benefit night to raise funds for the families of a number of
Ringsend fishermen who were drowned off the Pigeon House lighthouse.
In
February 1925, the London published ‘Bioscope’ movie magazine reported that new
work would commence on the building of a new cinema in Ringsend and that
tenders had been invited to build the premises under the direction of the
architect Mr. Thomas Francis McNamara with offices at 192 Pearse Street.
The
following April 1925, the ‘Bioscope’ reported that,
‘A contract has been accepted by
Cities Cinema Limited from Messers McNally & Co. of Dublin for the erection
of a new cinema at Ringsend, a suburb of Dublin. The amount of the contract is
£7,500 and the theatre will probably be named the ‘Ringsend Cinema’. Ringsend
is a populous district but the inhabitants belong mainly to the working
classes.’
By
August the shell of the building was ready and adverts appeared in the
Freeman’s Journals looking for plasterers. In September the Kinematograph
Weekly reported that Denis O’Moore, who had been the manager of Corinthian
Cinema in the city centre had been appointed the manager of the newly named ‘Rinn’
cinema. Costing a reported £10,000 to build and fit out, The Rinn opened on
29th November 1925. The invited audience filling the nine hundred seats were
treated to the silent movie ‘The Devil of Quemada’ starring Fred Thompson. The Bioscope
described the film as,
"A former Yale student, returns
to the land where his Spanish forefathers once reigned supreme and lives in the
Mexican hills, occasionally riding into border towns, where he takes the law
into his own hands and protects the weak from crooked elements. Known as
Quemado, he prevents the marriage of a girl to a notorious desperado and meets
Joanna Thatcher, an eastern girl to whom he makes the promise that she will
someday come to love him. Joan becomes engaged to Gretorix, unwilling to admit
to herself that she has become infatuated with the daring horseman. On Joan's
wedding day, Quemado kidnaps her, forces her to admit that she loves him, and
arranges to be wed by a parson on horseback as they ride furiously into the
hills to avoid the pursuit of the angry Gretorix.’
The
film was followed by ‘other delightful items. Including music from the Carl
Rosa Opera Company and ‘an excellent turn’ by Cathal MacGarvey. MacGarvey
described himself in his own newspaper advertisements as ‘the King of the Irish
Entertainers’. The newspapers reporting on its opening night stated that the
directors of the new cinema were ‘Messers J.M. Doran, Padraig Tarrant, J.H,
Cox, William Byrne, Michael Carrick, William Murphy, Mrs C. McGuigan and J.E.
Boyle.
In December 1930 the newspapers were advertising ‘the Grand Re-Opening of the Regal Cinema. But trouble was on the horizon in the form of Dublin Corporation. Cinema owners in Dublin were informed that they would have to have an emergency exit on balcony areas and that for every 150 patrons, this immediately limited The Regal in the numbers they could admit. In July 1932 an advertisement appeared in the Irish newspapers to announce The Rinn cinema was for sale or lease. It was renamed Regal Cinema in the mid-1930’s and was equipped with an updated British Thomson-Houston sound system. One of the cinemas projectionists was Father Shaun Curran who worked there after school at St. Vincents CBS. He would later join the priesthood and was instrumental in the opening of the Glencree Rehabilitation Centre.
In the late 1930’s, the entertainment hosted in
the cinema was a regular feature as Radio Eireann’s outside broadcasts. The
cinema was sold once more in 1949 when both the Regal and the Ritz were sold to
George Jay who at that time was the Dublin manager for Columbia Pictures.
In
1955, thieves used gelignite to attempt to enter the cinemas safe but they
failed to get any of the £500 that was in the safe. The following year, James
Walls, with an address at Donard Road; Anthony Francis Ball, described as a
casemaker living at 3 Seapoint Terrace, Irishtown, and Charles Armstrong also
of 3 Seapoint Terrace, Irishtown were charged and later convicted of having in
their possession on February 25 race, 100 detonators wire. They were charged
with a number of robberies including a laundry, the Irish Glass Bottle Company
offices and the Regal Cinema attempted robbery. Three youths were charged in
October 1961 for lighting fireworks in the cinema. They claimed they had bought
them from a trader in Moore Street and the judge took a dim view of their
actions as it could have caused a fatal panic amongst the patrons of the
cinema.
In
1965 George Day the managing director of Regal Cinemas Limited, who also owned
the Ritz Cinema on Serpentine Road, announced that the rise of overheads and
the arrival of an Irish television station RTE, the cinema would close. In the
months before its closure, it had become a popular bingo venue. It closed on
Sunday 10th January 1965 with the last film shown being, ‘The Birdman of
Alcatraz’ starring Burt Lancaster. Its equipment auctioned off the following
Tuesday, with the screen was auctioned off for £90. It became a factory and
then a community training unit. In 1988 it was sold for £70,000 after being
leased for a number of years as the Ringsend Community Centre. After years of lying derelict, it became the
Abundant Grace Pentecostal Church which has occupied what is now known as Regal
House since December 2013.
If you have any stories of your time in the Regal Cinema, please let us know as we celebrate this important piece of Ringsend history.
