Oscar winner Cillian Murphy and artist Yvonne McGuinness are the new proprietors of The Phoenix Cinema in Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland. After 105 years in operation as a movie theater and dance hall, The Phoenix will remain an independently owned venue, which Time Out has previously named “one of the 50 best cinemas in the UK and Ireland.” Married couple McGuinness and Murphy plan to begin repair and refurbishment next year, with The Phoenix continuing to screen films and expand into a multidisciplinary space.
There’s history here for proud Irish man Murphy, who said, “I’ve been going to see films at The Phoenix since I was a young boy on summer holidays. 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.” He added, “We recognize what the cinema means to Dingle.”
McGuinness continued, “We want to open the doors again, expand the creative potential of the site, re-establishing its place in the cultural fabric of this unique town.”
A short walk from Dingle Harbour, The Phoenix Cinema is situated in the town center. The sole cinema on the Dingle Peninsula — the nearest multiplex is 30 miles away — The Phoenix is also the only cinema in a Gaeltacht area in Ireland, which will be acknowledged in its programming.
The cinema has undergone several incarnations since it was built by brothers Jimmy and Johnny Houlihan and opened in 1919. Following devastating fires in both 1921 and 1938, the venue was reconstructed twice. The current name, art deco façade and a floor mosaic of a phoenix were added during the second rebuild.
During the following decades, The Phoenix became Dingle’s own ‘Cinema Paradiso,’ an integral part of the community that inspired generations and served as the backdrop for fond memories. In the 1950s, the Houlihans 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. Rory Gallagher performed in the cinema in 1964. Another highlight of the cinema’s history: For 12 days during June and July 1972, crowds flocked to The Phoenix to see David Lean’s Ryan’s Daughter, which was filmed in the area.
Motivated primarily by his passion for film, Michael O’Sullivan bought The Phoenix in 1978. After closing for renovations, it reopened in 1980 with new facilities, the latest screening technology and plush seating. Under the stewardship of O’Sullivan and his family, The Phoenix screened an eclectic mix of movies — blockbusters, family fare, independent and foreign language films — for both locals and visitors year-round.
The Phoenix also hosted a beloved Tuesday night film club (during which O’Sullivan introduced and led a short post-screening discussion). Forced to confront rising costs, falling attendance and challenging exhibition terms, the O’Sullivan family closed The Phoenix during the first Covid lockdown in November 2021.
After three years on the market, The Phoenix will see McGuinness and Murphy begin the repair and refurbishment of the cinema in 2025. As they note, “Bíonn rudaí maithe mall” (Good things take time).