1922 – Metropole Cinema & Restaurant, O’Connell St., Dublin

Built on the site of the former Metropole Hotel, which was destroyed in the 1916 rising, the Metropole Cinema & Restaurant quickly became one of the most fashionable venues in Dublin. Designed by Aubrey V. O’Rourke, brother of the city architect Horace, it was in keeping with the stripped classical aesthetic used for much of the rebuilding of O’Connell Street. In addition to a luxurious 1,000-seat cinema, it had a ballroom, shops, and a popular restaurant. The restaurant served afternoon tea, table d’hôte and á la carte meals. The auditorium was surrounded by Corinthian columns at grand circle level and the domed ceiling above it was decorated with scenes from Shakespeare’s plays. The proscenium stretched 30 feet, between stage and orchestra. Alas, with the decline of cinema-going in the early 1970s, it closed in 1972. It was demolished and replaced with a visually appalling department store for British Home Stores, now being used by Pennys.