Classic Cinema
11-12 Washington Street,
Cork
11-12 Washington Street,
Cork
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Additional Info
Architects: Anthony Christopher Fitzgibbon
Previous Names: Washington Cinema, Ritz Cinema
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Located on Washington Street opposite the side wall of St. Augustine’s Church. Opened as the Washington Cinema in January 1920 but was relaunched as the Ritz Cinema on 13th August 1939 following enlargement. The cinema now had a balcony and was capable of seating 590. The first film to be shown at the Ritz Cinema was Tyrone Power in “Suez”. Continental films were screened from 1956 and the house was sold to Amalgamated Cinemas in 1963 following the death of the owner.
It closed in February 1974 but was reopened by Seamus Quinn on 28th December 1975 as the Classic Cinema. It was converted to a discotheque in 1983 but later returned to screening films. It eventually closed on 10th August 1989, the day before the Capitol Cinema opened, when the last film to be shown was Gene Hackman in “Mississippi Burning”. The building was later a discount furniture store and a base for the pirate Sunshine Radio. It has since been demolished and replaced with apartments which have the Edison bar at street level. In early-August 1989 it was the only cinema in Cork showing films, albeit just for a few days.
Contributed by
Gavin McGrath
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Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
Architect for the new cinemas was Anthony Christopher Fitzgibbon, as per the Architects of Ireland, this was a new cinema, replacing the fire damaged Washington: New cinema to seat 590, replacing cinema destroyed by fire in 1937.