Grafton Cinema

Grafton Cinema was a historic film theatre located at 72 Grafton Street in central Dublin, Ireland. It opened on Easter Monday, 11 April 1911, under the name Grafton Picture House and remained an operating cinema for more than sixty years. The building was designed by architect Richard Orpen, although the available historical material does not identify a founder. In its early years, the venue offered continuous film programmes from noon until 10:30 p.m. Admission was one shilling for adults and half a shilling for children, reflecting the pricing structure of an early twentieth-century picture house. The cinema formed part of Dublin's early experience with new film technologies and popular moving-image entertainment. Its first-year programme included The Crusaders, a historical film depicting the medieval conquest of Jerusalem by European armies. In April 1914, the Grafton hosted a demonstration of Thomas Edison's Kinetophone system, an early attempt to synchronize recorded sound with moving images. This presentation is regarded in the available historical account as Dublin's first public presentation of talking pictures. The venue also became the site of political controversy in late 1913 or early 1914, when nationalists disrupted several screenings because the programme included a British Army recruitment film. The Grafton continued as a conventional cinema for much of its early and middle history. A notable cultural event took place on 6 May 1934, when Robert Flaherty's documentary Man of Aran received its Irish première there. Éamon de Valera, then President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State, attended the screening alongside political and artistic figures, giving the cinema a prominent role in the presentation of an important Irish-related film. A major change came on 18 September 1959, when the venue reopened under new ownership by the British company Capital and Provincial News Theatres Ltd. It was repositioned as a news and cartoon cinema rather than a conventional feature-film house. Its programmes were built around continuous newsreels, cartoons, short films, and comedy material, including appearances by acts such as The Three Stooges and Joe McDoakes. This format reflected the changing economics and audience habits of cinemas in the post-war period. During the 1960s, the Grafton developed a second identity as a late-night music venue. It hosted folk and traditional Irish music performances by artists including sean-nós singer Seosamh Ó hÉanaí, fiddler Martin Fay, and tin whistle player Seán Potts. The Dubliners made one of their early appearances together at a midnight concert there in August 1963. Six months later, Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger made their Dublin debut at the venue. These performances connected the cinema with the revival and public presentation of Irish and international folk music. The cinema closed in December 1973 after rising property values and rental returns on Grafton Street made the site more valuable for retail use. The property was sold in November 1973 for £400,000, described in the historical account as a high price at the time. The cinema's fifteen employees were made redundant on 1 December, when the venue closed permanently. The building was subsequently converted into a retail outlet. The site is currently occupied by a branch of The White Company, a home-decor and furniture retailer. Grafton Cinema is therefore remembered not only as a former Dublin cinema but also as an early sound-film venue, a location for significant film premières, and a 1960s music-performance space.

Grafton Cinema began operating on Easter Monday, 11 April 1911, at 72 Grafton Street in Dublin. Originally called the Grafton Picture House, it was designed by architect Richard Orpen. The cinema followed the early picture-house model of the period, showing continuous programmes during the day and evening. Its advertised operating hours ran from noon to 10:30 p.m., with adult admission priced at one shilling and children's admission at half that amount. The venue's early programme combined popular entertainment with the technological experimentation that characterized the first decades of cinema. Among the films shown during its first year was The Crusaders, a historical production about the medieval conquest of Jerusalem. In April 1914, the Grafton hosted a demonstration of Thomas Edison's Kinetophone, an early sound-film system. The event represented an important moment in Dublin's exhibition history because it introduced an early form of talking pictures to the city's public. The cinema also became involved in contemporary political tensions. In late 1913 or early 1914, nationalists interrupted several screenings after objecting to the inclusion of a British Army recruitment film in the programme. For the next several decades, the Grafton functioned primarily as a conventional film theatre. Its most prominent documented film event came on 6 May 1934, when Robert Flaherty's Man of Aran received its Irish première there. Éamon de Valera, President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State, attended the screening with other political and artistic dignitaries. The event demonstrated the venue's ability to host nationally significant cultural occasions as well as routine commercial screenings. The cinema was substantially repositioned in 1959. On 18 September of that year it reopened under the ownership of Capital and Provincial News Theatres Ltd., a British chain specializing in news cinemas. The new format abandoned the earlier emphasis on full-length feature films and instead offered continuous programmes of newsreels, cartoons, and short comedy films. Material associated with the relaunch included work featuring The Three Stooges and Joe McDoakes. This was a strategic change in the cinema's operating model, aligning the venue with a specialized and continuously refreshed form of screen entertainment. The Grafton gained another role during the 1960s as a late-night performance venue. It hosted folk and traditional Irish musicians, including sean-nós singer Seosamh Ó hÉanaí, fiddler Martin Fay, and tin whistle player Seán Potts. In August 1963, The Dubliners performed together at a midnight concert there, one of the group's early appearances. Around six months later, Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger made their Dublin debut at the cinema. These events made the Grafton part of Dublin's live-music infrastructure during a period of strong interest in folk and traditional music. The venue's eventual closure was driven by the commercial value of its location rather than by a documented failure of the cinema's programming. By the early 1970s, expanding retail competition and rising rents and property values had made Grafton Street one of Dublin's most valuable shopping areas. Owners of freehold properties could obtain substantial capital gains by selling. The Grafton property changed hands for £400,000 in November 1973, a price regarded as exceptionally high at the time in the available account. On 1 December, the cinema closed and its fifteen employees were made redundant. The building was subsequently converted into a retail premises. The location is currently occupied by a branch of The White Company. Grafton Cinema is consequently a defunct Dublin cinema remembered for its long exhibition history, early sound-film presentation, important film première, and contribution to the city's 1960s folk-music scene.

• 1973

  Permanent closure

  [1]Grafton Cinemaen.wikipedia.org

  After the property was sold for £400,000 in November, the cinema closed on 1 December and was converted into a retail outlet.

• 1963

  The Dubliners concert

  [1]Grafton Cinemaen.wikipedia.org

  The Dubliners made one of their first appearances together at a midnight concert at the Grafton.

• 1959

  Relaunch as a news and cartoon cinema

  [1]Grafton Cinemaen.wikipedia.org

  The cinema reopened under Capital and Provincial News Theatres Ltd. with continuous newsreel, cartoon, and short-film programmes.

• 1934

  Irish première of Man of Aran

  [1]Grafton Cinemaen.wikipedia.org

  Robert Flaherty's Man of Aran received its Irish première at the Grafton on 6 May.

• 1914

  Early talking-picture demonstration

  [1]Grafton Cinemaen.wikipedia.org

  A demonstration of Edison's Kinetophone technology took place at the venue in April, marking an early Dublin presentation of talking pictures.

• 1911

  Opening as the Grafton Picture House

  [1]Grafton Cinemaen.wikipedia.org

  The cinema opened at 72 Grafton Street on Easter Monday, 11 April 1911, with continuous daily film programmes.

A central Dublin picture house that evolved from a conventional early cinema into a news-and-cartoon venue and, during the 1960s, an important late-night folk and traditional music space.

• Cinema exhibition · 1911

  Feature-film screenings

  For much of its early and middle history, Grafton Cinema operated as a conventional picture house showing full-length films. Its early programming included historical and popular films, with continuous performances allowing audiences to attend throughout the day and evening.

• Early sound cinema · 1914

  Kinetophone presentations

  In April 1914, the venue presented Thomas Edison's Kinetophone system. The demonstration offered Dublin audiences an early form of synchronized sound accompanying moving images and represented a notable technological event in the cinema's history.

• Specialized cinema programming · 1959

  Newsreel and cartoon programmes

  After its 1959 relaunch, the Grafton specialized in continuous programmes of newsreels, cartoons, and short films rather than standard feature-length bills. The format also included short comedy material associated with performers such as The Three Stooges and Joe McDoakes.

• Live entertainment · 1960

  Late-night folk and traditional music concerts

  During the 1960s, the cinema hosted late-night concerts by Irish folk and traditional musicians and by international folk performers. Documented participants included Seosamh Ó hÉanaí, Martin Fay, Seán Potts, The Dubliners, Ewan MacColl, and Peggy Seeger.

• 1973

  Sale and closure for retail redevelopmentOther

  Background

  Increasing retail activity and rising property values on Grafton Street made the cinema site more valuable for commercial redevelopment.

  Action taken

  The property was sold in November for £400,000, and the cinema closed permanently on 1 December. Its fifteen staff were made redundant.

  Aftermath

  The premises were converted into a retail outlet and are currently occupied by The White Company.

  Property sale price. £400,000 (November 1973)

  Source

• 1959

  Shift to a news-and-cartoon cinemaStrategy

  Background

  After acquisition by Capital and Provincial News Theatres Ltd., the venue was repositioned away from regular full-length feature films.

  Action taken

  The cinema reopened on 18 September with continuous newsreels, cartoons, short films, and comedy features.

  Aftermath

  The change gave the Grafton a specialized programming identity before it also became a late-night music venue during the 1960s.

  Source

1. 1Grafton Cinemaen.wikipedia.org