Iveagh Cinema

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Description at 02.06.2006. The cinema has been demolished and replaced with a housing development.

Description at 01.06.2006. Large, free standing, single screen cinema of 1955, with angular, modernist, faience and brown brick entrance façade. The building is set to the SW of the Huntly Road, to the NW of Banbridge town centre.

The front elevation faces roughly E and is symmetrical. The elevation is in three flat topped bays. The central bay is larger and faced in cream-coloured faience with recessed outer bays in brown brick with simple modernist panels. Each bay has narrow moulded concrete edging.

To the ground floor of the central bay there is a broad central deep recess flanked by smaller recesses. Within the central recess is a long door screen consisting of three sets of glazed double doors framed in varnished timber. Each of the flanking recesses contain a similar double door. Directly above the entrance recesses is a flat projecting canopy with curved ends. The underside of the canopy is plain rendered with a series of lights with the front edge faced in plastic (letters displaying the names of films were placed on this edge with the edge itself presumably internally illuminated). Above the canopy is a long window band with plain raised moulded concrete surround and ten pane metal frame. Above this the name of the cinema (‘Iveagh’- named after the barony) in large raised lettering with serifs.

The other bays are faced in brown brick with whitened mortar. Above ground level to each bay there is a pilaster of four square cast concrete panels with simple modernist appearance. To ground floor level to each bay there is a large timber and glazed display panel (for the film posters).

The long S elevation has a plain functional appearance. It is finished in plain painted render with projecting structural piers. Roughly to the centre of the elevation there are three plain projections (toilets etc.). That to the left is long and single storey with a flat roof. To the left of its S face there is a deep recess with a plain sheeted double door. The projection to right of this is taller and also flat roofed. To the ground level on the W face is a plain sheeted door. To the S face there is a high level window with security bars over. To right again this projection merges with a much lower section with a lean-to roof (which leans-to the main building). This has a plain sheeted door to its S face. Above it there is a tall, square rendered chimneystack, which finishes above the eaves line of the main building. To the right of these projections, on the main building, is a window. To right end of the S elevation is a tall flat roofed, plain rendered bay which rises above the main eaves line. This bay is actually the S face of the S outer front bay. To ground floor of this bay there is a row of three small square single pane windows with moulded concrete surrounds.

In general terms, the N elevation is much like that to S, but with only one projection. This is to right of centre and is single storey with four boarded up windows to its N face, one to the E and one to W. To immediate right of this projection is a double door with thick projecting surround. To far left of on this elevation there are four windows of varying size. To left again is the tall flat roofed end bay, as that to right end on S elevation but with a row of windows to second floor level.

The W elevation is a large shallow gable, finished as N and S elevations, but with no openings or projections.

The flat sections of the roof are covered in asphalt with the much larger gabled portion in corrugated asbestos cement sheeting. Metal rw goods. Tree and shrub ‘island’ to front of forecourt.

Historical information

The Iveagh Cinema was built in 1955 by Mr J. Finney, who had previously owned another cinema within Banbridge. The doors opened for business in December of that year with ‘Gentlemen prefer blondes’ the first main attraction. In 1965 the property was sold to Abbey Films of Dublin. It closed in early 2001.

c2003 the building was demolished to be replaced with a housing development.

References- Primary sources
1 Information supplied by Mrs Doris Mateer, former Manageress of the Iveagh Cinema

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Evaluation at 02.06.2006. The cinema has been demolished and therfore is not of listable quality.

Evaluation at 01.06.2001 Large, free standing, single screen cinema of 1955, with angular, modernist façade typical of the era. It is practically unaltered, retaining all of the original fixtures and fittings. The manageress at the time of its closure (in March 2001), who had been there since it opened, stated that it is the only surviving single screen cinema in Northern Ireland.