Cillian Murphy and wife Yvonne McGuinness purchase iconic Kerry ...
Actor Cillian Murphy and artist Yvonne McGuinness have confirmed the purchase of the iconic Phoenix Cinema in Dingle, County Kerry.
The Phoenix has been in operation as a movie theatre and dance hall for the past 105 years and will remain an independently owned gem in the heart of the coastal town.
The cinema was one of the last family-run cinemas in the country when it closed during the Covid-19 pandemic and was subsequently put up for sale.
Actor Cillian Murphy and artist Yvonne McGuinness have confirmed the purchase of the iconic Phoenix Cinema in Dingle, Co Kerry. Photo: Don MacMonagleTouching on their plans to refurbish the building and reopen a cinema at the site, Ms McGuinness said they plan to expand the creative potential of the site and re-establish its place in the cultural fabric of Dingle.
Reminiscing on days spent at the cinema as a young boy on summer holidays and speaking about the connection his family has to the site, Mr Murphy said:
My Dad saw movies there when he was a young man before me, and we’ve watched many films at The Phoenix with our own kids. We recognise what the cinema means to Dingle.
The sole cinema on the Dingle Peninsula, the Phoenix is also the only cinema in a Gaeltacht area in Ireland, which will be acknowledged in its programming.
Cillian Murphy arriving for the premier of 'Small Things Like These' at the Light House Cinema, Dublin recently. Pic: Stephen Collins / Collins PhotosThe cinema has undergone several incarnations since it was built by brothers Jimmy and Johnny Houlihan and opened in 1919 and was reconstructed twice following devastating fires in 1921 and 1938.
In the decades that followed, The Phoenix became an integral part of the Dingle community that inspired generations and served as the backdrop for many fond memories.
In the 1950s, the Houlihan brothers sold The Phoenix to John Moore and it continued to function as a cinema, concert venue and dance hall at the peak of the showband era.
The Phoenix Cinema in Dingle. Picture: Phoenix Cinema/FacebookThe Phoenix was later bought by Michael O’Sullivan in 1978 and reopened in 1980 and offered an eclectic mix of movies until the O’Sullivan family decided to close the venue during the first Covid-19 lockdown in November 2021 after being faced with rising costs, falling attendance and challenging exhibition terms.
After three years on the market, Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness are set to begin the repair and refurbishment of the cinema next year.
