Galway Arthouse

I heard rumours about this a few months back, but it's good to see that it is slowly becoming real.

A NEW arthouse cinema and the Museum are to form the backbone of a Cultural Quarter for Galway, which has been described by the City Manager as a ‘tremendous coup’.

Last night, councillors unanimously supported proposals for the cinema on Lower Merchants Road, which will include cinema screens, performance space and a café/bar.

City Manager Joe MacGrath recommended to councillors that following a public consultation process, the cinema be given the green light, saying it would be a major boost to the cultural infrastructure of the city.

“I believe it is a major contribution to the cultural infrastructure of the city and should be a genesis for future cultural developments in that area of the city,” Mr MacGrath said, referring to a number of adjacent properties on Lower Merchants Road which the Council has purchased.

The arthouse cinema plans include a 176-seat cinema at basement level, a ground floor box office with a café/bar, a first floor bookshop with a display area, bar, offices and a public archive room, a 77-seat cinema on the second floor and a 107-seat cinema on the third floor with a retractable screen for performances.

Source: Galwaynews.ie

It sounds like an incredible design. I like the idea on the third floor to hold performances. Would remind me of the Punchbag Theatre years ago!

What do other Galway boardsie's think? There is a market for Arthouse movies in Galway, seeing as how the films do really well whenever they're screened at the Eye

fruitbat

sounds great... but if the museum is anything to go by we are buggered.

Webbs

fruitbat wrote: »

sounds great... but if the museum is anything to go by we are buggered.

Think it'll be great to have an art house cinema as Galway puts itself up as the arty capital of ireland it has a serious lack of both Arthouse cinemas and a decent concert venue (though there has been plans put forward for one on fisheries field).
Fruitbat why is the museum a problem?

Robbo

Weren't there previously plans for the same kind of facility on Dominic St in the two disused buildings beside McAlindens?

fruitbat

Webbs wrote: »

Fruitbat why is the museum a problem?

I found the museum very dissappointing. One of the main aspects of Galway heritage - the medieval city - isnt on display. The museum has a lot of good pieces of stonework but these are not on display. Unless they have updated their exhibition since I was last in, the only objects chosen to repesent the medieval city were a few pieces of pottery with very poor interpretation. The panels did not explain what the items were, where they were found, nor detail exactly which item was which. For example, portugese fiance vase - with no explanation of what a faience vase is, nor were the objects numbered so the visitor would know which was the vase in question. The same goes for the Chafing dish. I had to check the dictionary when I got home as the museum didnt explain what a chafing dish is.

The idea of telling a story in a museum through panels is not appropriate, museums must be based on object interpretation. Also, the panel design is very poor, virtually unreadable for anyone with visual problems or learning difficulties, especially panels that have cream text on a cream background, and the world exploration panel.

The exhibition on the Claddagh is also very poor - the best object they had, the shawl, had to be returned to the National Museum as they had displayed it in such a way that it was vulnerable to light damage. Again, virtually no objects instead relying on images (which are ok with the right interpretation, but this is not provided) and dodgy models.

The museum design isnt even all that great, considering it was purpose built. The temporary exhibition spaces are tiny, and the way you have to pass through these to reach main exhibition floors disrupts the telling of the story ... its a bit like reading a book, and when you want to read the next chapter, you have to read a chapter of a completely different book first.

Bass Cadet

The new plans for Ceannt Station should incorporate all of this. Thats where these kind of developments should be taking place

Also, the Museum doesn't even have air conditioning and is useless...I wouldn't trust them to build a proper lego toy, nevermind a 'cultural centre'

If people really want Galway to flourish in the future regarding the arts and everything it has become world-famous for, the Ceannt station site and its close proximity to Eyre Sq is where it should be based, but then again, cimema's and art theatres/stages don't ring the cash registers like sh1tty little retail shops and clothing outlets like the developers want to put in to make them rich(er)

Fey!

I love Declan Varleys description of an Arthouse Cinema in todays Galway Advertisers editorial!

galvianlord

well it's all moot really cause i dont see how this will get built until the oil tanks go...cause under the HSA directive no developments can happen within a certain radius of them.

i second the comment on varley's editorial...gold! i like the way he's holding our incompetent council and its officials to account!

Bass Cadet

galvianlord wrote: »

well it's all moot really cause i dont see how this will get built until the oil tanks go...cause under the HSA directive no developments can happen within a certain radius of them.

they are going as part of the ceannt station plans. Will probably be gone before then, they have been empty for ages

Imagine when they were actually in use?! All it would have taken was for some mad b@stard to throw a grenade or shoot at them to blow half the town up :eek:

Webbs

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Webbs

Webbs wrote: »

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Oops meant to say the pics are pictures of what the arthouse cinema is supposed to look like - I think it looks pretty good to me

galvianlord

nope the tanks are definitely still in use! they are building a new oil farm further down into the harbor park but not sure if they will move down there are not. but they are not part of ceannt station, they're part of the harbour. in fact if the local press is to be believed they will stop any development at the station until they are put beyond use.

my other issue with the arthouse, while i welcome it, is its position. it's right on a main thorughfare, not very pedestrian friendly at all at all. seeing as the museum has really crap use of space you would have thought it better for them renovate some of the rooms on the upper floor for use as a screening room. would make better sense. not sure how economically viable the arthouse would be, when one factors in the cost of building it...it may come into its own only during the fleadh, but a weekly schedule might not generate enough interest to make it pay.

as for the alternative locations, at one point the group behind it were meant to go into the EYE, then they sourced the buildings in Dominick st, but i think there were heritage issues there and now the council has come to their rescue.