Housing plan at Limerick town’s old cinema rejected

A PROPOSAL to transform Rathkeale’s old cinema into new houses has been turned down by Limerick council planners.

Permission was sought from Limerick City and County Council to demolish behind the front facade of the Art-Deco cinema in the town and build two, three-bedroom semi detached houses there.

Access to these homes would have been from Lower Main Street in Rathkeale, with the frontage altered slightly to allow entry to one of the semi-detached homes.

Both new homes would climb two storeys high behind the cinema building.

According to the proposals, the existing entrance doors would have been replaced with a dark-grey aluminium glazed screen to replicate its Art-Deco design.

In a conservation statement, agents for the developer said the proposal will “retain the authenticity of the protected structure and enhance the future significance of this historic asset.”

The developer’s agents also presented council with a series of pictures showing overgrowth of vegetation and dereliction inside the existing building.”

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Council's architectural conservation officer Tom Cassidy wrote: “This cinema is a typical example of 20th century cinema architecture in Ireland with a stylish facade influenced by the Art-Deco movement disguising a wholly utilitarian auditorium.

The cinema closed in 1974 and although showing signs of neglect, it remains a striking landmark in Main Street.”

Mr Cassidy recommended the local authority refuse the planning application.

He added: “The proposed work totally ignore Art-Deco design elements and idioms utilised on and for fabric and materials within the cinema's footprint.”

Council planners ultimately backed Mr Cassidy up and rejected the application.

In a determination, they said they felt the development would “constitute an unacceptable scale of intervention that would have a detrimental and irreversible impact on the character and special interest of the protected structure.”

Planners added that for this reason, the proposed development would be contrary to the Limerick Development Plan, a document which governs what planning permission is allowed where.

The Central Cinema, as it was called, was opened in 1945 by Henry Dinnage and continued operating until 1974.

It was opened with a gala concert featuring the tenor Christopher Lynch.

The first film shown was Intermezzo. It provided seats for 400 people, as well as a balcony, with historians also saying there could have been anything up to 200 bicycles outside the cinema when movies were showing.

Since its closure, it’s remained largely out of use.