Savoy Cinema, Dublin
The Savoy Cinema on Upper O’Connell Street has been Dublin’s most storied picture house since it opened on 29 November 1929 with a capacity of 2,789 seats — one of the largest cinema audiences in Ireland at the time. Designed by architects C.F. Mitchell and W.E. Greenwood and built by Dublin contractors Meagher and Hayes, its Art Deco facade brought a flush of glamour to the capital’s main thoroughfare during the final years of the silent era. More than nine decades later the Savoy holds a dual distinction: it is both the oldest continuously operating cinema in Dublin and the preferred venue for Irish film premieres, regularly hosting red-carpet events attended by international stars. The building has been substantially rebuilt and expanded — in 1969, 1975, 1979, and 1988 — and now runs 13 screens, but its identity as Dublin’s flagship cinema has never wavered.
At a glance
- Type
- Cinema (multi-screen)
- Period
- Opened 1929; rebuilt multiple times
- Style
- Art Deco
- Location
- 16–19 Upper O’Connell Street, Dublin 1, Ireland
- Coordinates
- 53.3511° N, 6.2606° W
- Architect(s)
- C.F. Mitchell and W.E. Greenwood
Overview
Situated at the northern end of O’Connell Street — Dublin’s principal ceremonial boulevard — the Savoy opened at the cusp of the sound era and immediately became the city’s premier entertainment venue. Its original single-screen auditorium seated nearly 2,800 people and featured an ornate Art Deco interior. Over the decades the building was repeatedly modified to meet changing audience habits; today it operates as a 13-screen multiplex owned by IMC Cinema Group. Despite the transformations, the Savoy retains its cultural primacy: major Irish and international film premieres are regularly held here, and it functions as Dublin’s symbolic screen house.
History
The Savoy opened on 29 November 1929, at the very moment when Irish cinemagoers were encountering synchronised sound for the first time. The original programme included both silent and early sound films. Through the 1930s and 1940s the cinema thrived as one of Ireland’s largest and most profitable picture houses. The post-war decades brought competition from television and suburban venues; the Savoy responded with successive rebuilds — in 1969, 1975, 1979, and 1988 — progressively subdividing the original auditorium and adding additional screens. The IMC Cinema Group took ownership in the modern era and completed the transition to a 13-screen multiplex. Despite these changes the Savoy has maintained its position at the heart of Irish film culture, hosting premieres of major Irish productions and international blockbusters alike.
Architecture & Design
The original 1929 building presented a stepped Art Deco facade to O’Connell Street, with geometric ornamentation and a bold vertical sign characteristic of the interwar cinema boom. Architects Mitchell and Greenwood designed a single grand auditorium with elaborate plasterwork, a domed ceiling, and a proscenium stage that could host live variety acts between film screenings — a common practice of the era. The successive rebuilds of the second half of the twentieth century dismantled much of the original interior, replacing the single grand hall with multiple smaller screens. The current exterior retains elements of the Art Deco street presence, though substantially altered. The building occupies four adjoining plots on Upper O’Connell Street, giving it a substantial urban footprint.
Cultural significance
The Savoy occupies a unique place in Irish cultural memory as the oldest operational cinema in Dublin and the traditional setting for the country’s most prestigious film events. Premieres of major Irish productions — from historical dramas to internationally acclaimed art films — have long been held on its screens. O’Connell Street itself carries weight as Dublin’s processional axis, the site of the 1916 Rising and subsequent national events; the Savoy has been part of that streetscape through nearly a century of Irish history. For generations of Dubliners it represents the ritual of going to the pictures in the city centre.
Visiting today
The Savoy operates daily as a commercial multiplex showing current release films. Booking in advance is recommended for new releases and weekend screenings. The cinema is wheelchair accessible. The building is part of the revitalised upper O’Connell Street corridor, close to the Garden of Remembrance and the Hugh Lane Gallery. Check imc.ie for current programme and ticket prices.
Getting there
The Savoy is on Upper O’Connell Street, Dublin 1, a five-minute walk from O’Connell Street/GPO Luas stop (Red Line). Dublin Bus serves O’Connell Street from across the city. The DART rail network connects at Connolly Station, ten minutes’ walk. Parking is available at the Ilac Centre car park on Henry Street. The cinema is approximately 15 minutes on foot from Dublin city centre hotels.
Sources & resources
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