Festival Cinema

Situated in Crossgar, to the north of Downpatrick, County Down, regrettably little is known about the Festival Cinema, which did not appear in the Kine Year Books.

The only purpose-built cinema in this small town, it is not known when it opened, but it is known that it was built by the Trohear family, and it replaced the film shows that had been presented in the multi-function Market House (see separate Cinema Treasures entry).

On my visit to the town, I was fortunate to meet Gregory Bell. He owns GB Poultry, which occupies the building. A life-long resident, he remembered the cinema from his youth, and thought it closed down around 1968-69. After closure, it was used as a lemonade store and by a dealer in power tools before Gregory moved his family business, which opened in 1983, from nearby premises a few years ago.

One of those previous owners gutted the interior and replaced the frontage. The only real indicators of its original use are the overall shape of the building and the exterior side walls.

(With thanks to Gavin McGrath for alerting me to this cinema.)

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