Lyric Cinema
High Street,
Belfast,
BT1
High Street,
Belfast,
BT1
1 person
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The Panopticon opened on 22 February 1912. It was owned by Fred Stewart, a well known pioneer of early cinemas in Belfast. In 1917 it was listed in a Belfast Directory as a cinema and waxworks, no doubt indicating multiple usage, similar to the famous Panopticon in Glasgow. At that time the seating capacity was only 350 but in 1924, after extensive refurbishment and a change of name to Lyric Cinema, that was increased to 750.
The Lyric Cinema was destroyed by German bombs in the Blitz in May 1941. The site is occupied by retail stores.
Contributed by
David Simpson
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Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
Architect for the conversion from retail premises to a cinema was William Moore, these plans were submitted in 1911. Extensive premises of C. Millar & Co., house furnishers, being converted into cinema by Mr Alex Murdoch, Cullingree Rd. Further alterations were carried out to the plans of John MacGeagh in 1930, by then called the Lyric Cinema. John MacGeagh also made further changes in 1932, the removal of side balcony in High Street.