UCI Tallaght cinema to close

MagicMarker

marwelie wrote: »

Went to see Rovers on Tuesday in Tallaght and got the 75 home. Couldnt believe the amount of empty car parking spaces which I would imagine is a direct result of the cinema closing. I used to frequent the cinema and then ramble around the centre picking up bits and pieces but now I have absolutely no reason to visit the Square again and I dare say a lot of other people will feel the same. Could be the beginning of the end for the place because it hasnt changed since it opened as far as I can see (other than get bigger!) More shops, less money doesn't add up.

Huh? The whole place has been revamped in the last few months and will be expanding over the next few years creating 7000 more jobs. The Square is going no where. The empty spaces are because they now charge for parking to get rid of those leaving their cars there to get the Luas.

silat liam

marwelie wrote: »

According to Wikipedia (so therefore it must be true ;o)) RTE's six-one news bulletin on the evening of the closure of the Cinema said that if a new Cinema is not opened in the Woodies site in next four months, the UCI Cinema in the Square will be re-opened. Makes you wonder why they closed it in the first place!

No Chance of new cinema opening inside the next 4 months, be very lucky if there a new one in the next 4 years. With the reccession all new building work has slow way down. With the cinema gone the Square is very empty at night and unless the management get the cinema up and running again, lots of food outlets that surround the cinema and shopping center will be gone with more job losses.

Madness closing a cinema down in this day and ages, when cinema numbers are going up, what were the management thinking.

ian_m

silat liam wrote: »

Madness closing a cinema down in this day and ages, when cinema numbers are going up, what were the management thinking.

It is rather ridiculous it has to be said. There is obviously another agenda on the the table here.

You're also right about the food outlets. This can be said for the rest of the shops in the centre, business will suffer. Some more significant than others but enough to be noticed. Anyhow...Its very easy to blame the recession isn't it?

patrickbrophy18

I will admit that even though I haven't been there in roughly a decade now with the relatively recent IMC in Dun Laoghaire, my first memorable time going to the cinema was at the UCI in Tallaght. It was there that I watched Curly Sue, All I Want For Christmas, A Simple Wish, The Lion King, The Nightmare Before Christmas and other timeless classics. Back then, I referred to the cinema as "the pictures". It's a pity to hear that the cinema is about to go. While I won't exactly be loosing sleep over this, it could have a few knock on effects on traffic at Movies at Dundrum, The Ormond in Stillorgan and the IMC because these cinemas will more than likely be picking up the slack from the closed UCI cinema. Nevertheless, some of my earliest memories of going to the cinema took place in the UCI. Just thinking about, it brings me back to the days when it used to take ages to get to The Square in Tallaght without the M50. We were really lost (pardon the pun) without that gem of infrastructure. Anyway, I am sure that it will be missed by those who live nearby.

El.duderino

Im going to stop using the square now. Why should I pay to shop in an out of town center. They should pay us! Used to be handy to shoot up and grab something you needed. I wont bother now ,Now you have to use pay parking machines,Have get change etc..Bla blah time wasted. Square needs a revamp. Like a big old 1980,s shopping center. Cinema was run-down. The blue UV lights in toilets ..big turn off

El.duderino

Just a quick one. Do they have smackhead lights in VUE or blanch? Never been in those cinemas before? Savoy and cineworld in town dont. They freak me out. Its like they have those lights. Wheres the junkie lurking?..

Crazy Taxi

MagicMarker wrote: »

You'd think think VUE in Liffey Valley was only just opened walking in there, I can't believe it's 11 years already!

Bull! was there 3 months ago and I wouldn't pay for "upgraded" seats so the seats we got were ripped with the armrest hanging off one side. Having to pay €1.50 extra per seat just to sit on an unripped cushion is an insult after you've paid nearly a tenner to see the film:mad:

SerialComplaint

El.duderino wrote: »

Used to be handy to shoot up .....The blue UV lights in toilets ..big turn off

Well if you keep shooting up in there, of course they need the UV lights! :P

As it happens, the UV lights are a pretty useless deterrent. A committed drug user will just Tippex their veins, so the UV lights will highlight them beautifully.

ohnoigotsick

Due to shambolic security provided by the square it was a necessity - not appealing by a necessity - at the end of the day you can't expect a person working in the cinema or a fast food resturant to confront drug users - all you can do is alert your boss and do things in the correct channels.

MagicMarker

El.duderino wrote: »

Im going to stop using the square now. Why should I pay to shop in an out of town center. They should pay us! Used to be handy to shoot up and grab something you needed. I wont bother now ,Now you have to use pay parking machines,Have get change etc..Bla blah time wasted. Square needs a revamp. Like a big old 1980,s shopping center. Cinema was run-down. The blue UV lights in toilets ..big turn off

Parking is free for the first hour, so you can still shoot up and grab something you need, and it's much easier to get a space. A good thing imo.

MagicMarker

Crazy Taxi wrote: »

Bull! was there 3 months ago and I wouldn't pay for "upgraded" seats so the seats we got were ripped with the armrest hanging off one side. Having to pay €1.50 extra per seat just to sit on an unripped cushion is an insult after you've paid nearly a tenner to see the film:mad:

Oh noes, a ripped seat! :eek:

I assume you let them know one of their seats was ripped on your way out yeah?

ohnoigotsick

MagicMarker wrote: »

Oh noes, a ripped seat! :eek:

I assume you let them know one of their seats was ripped on your way out yeah?

they should be checking them on a daily basis - but you would be surprised how much the cinema itself is abused by kids.

El.duderino

I,ll stop talking,, I,m making it too easy..

surf4490

A planning application was passed recently for a new 14 screen cinema complex at Belgard Square East, on the site of the former Woodies DIY.
Whether it will ever be built in this economic climate is another thing .Tallaght is the size of a medium sized European city and has no cinema ?

unreggd

Its bullsh;t

I'd say the square hiked the rent up to a price they defo couldnt afford to get them out, say the same happened with Zavvi

The new cinema complex will have more shops too, so why not have penneys there!?

Dave!

The cinema is horrible anyways, not sad to see it go really.

Clanket

Did they get rid of them because that end of the Square is essential to their plans to extend the Square?

I know for definate they are in the process of planning a huge extension though last I heard someone or some company was blocking it

Butch Cassidy

ian_m wrote: »

It is rather ridiculous it has to be said. There is obviously another agenda on the the table here.

Fire the staff and then rehire new staff at a lower wage with less conditions and entitlements? Maybe...

This rumour about it reopening can easily be quelled by anyone who was working there - if they removed the projectors then it's gone but if they're still there you would wonder why....

icdg wrote: »

EEL have only owned UCI Cinemas in Ireland for the last few years - they bought the chain from Odeon in 2006. And the cinemas are still being managed by Odeon.

You could see a massive world of difference between UCI Tallaght (opened 1990) and UCI Blanchardstown (opened 1996). Blanchardstown was already a lot more modern than Tallaght (which looked dated even when it opened) and got a slight facelift when UCI changed its logo from the original blue version to the yellow version now in use. It looks modern - granted its not up to Vue or Cineworld standards but it looks a lot more modern than Tallaght.

I wonder why the decision was taken not to go the whole hog and rebrand to Odeon here, though.

UCI Tallaght was the guinne pig. Nothing like it had ever been tried. It was Ireland's first multiplex of its kind. They'd been cropping up in Britain at the time but it was still a fairly risky investment. UCI Tallaght was built in such a way that it could be dismantled in about two days. It had the most absolute basic architecuture to it with a raised lobby being probably the most complicated piece of the design.

Why they never rebranded was a weird one when the other two big plexes had - UGC and Ster. There was issue with the name as there's an Odeon bar but the truth was probably closer to the fact that no one wanted to invest in it ie. the owners.

3DataModem

Does this mean anything for the UCI in Coolock?

Butch Cassidy

3DataModem wrote: »

Does this mean anything for the UCI in Coolock?

UCI Coolock is in a building all to itself. I'd assume they outright own the building so they're not beholden to a lease like Tallaght was.

ian_m

3DataModem wrote: »

Does this mean anything for the UCI in Coolock?

No.

SteM

There's a sign up on this place now saying it is reopening as an IMC cinema. Didn't see a date though.

Butch Cassidy

SteM wrote: »

There's a sign up on this place now saying it is reopening as an IMC cinema. Didn't see a date though.

Not a Pennys then?

SteM

Butch Cassidy wrote: »

Not a Pennys then?

Not in that location anyway. From what i've been told they looked at it and felt it wasn't suitable.

Butch Cassidy

SteM wrote: »

Not in that location anyway. From what i've been told they looked at it and felt it wasn't suitable.

This begs the question why the Square Mgmt didn't renew the contract with UCI forcing it to close only to have another cinema open in the same spot...

SteM

UCI have been there since the place opened. Perhaps the Square upped their rent by to much? Maybe the SQ management felt they could get higher paying tenants?

Not to sure to be honest but a cinema is needed there imo, much happier to have one go in than a Pennys.

Butch Cassidy

SteM wrote: »

UCI have been there since the place opened. Perhaps the Square upped their rent by to much? Maybe the SQ management felt they could get higher paying tenants?

Not to sure to be honest but a cinema is needed there imo, much happier to have one go in than a Pennys.

The official line was that the Square decided not to renew the contract. Total bs obviously.

nemo90

Hey.

Myself and friends worked in UCI tallaght wen it closed etc, just wondering, does anyone know when and how to apply for a job to work in the new cinema in the square or somewhere i could find out?? would appreciate it.

Advertkriz

nemo90 wrote: »

Hey.

Myself and friends worked in UCI tallaght wen it closed etc, just wondering, does anyone know when and how to apply for a job to work in the new cinema in the square or somewhere i could find out?? would appreciate it.

I would also like to know how to apply.

icdg

unreggd wrote: »

Its bullsh;t

I'd say the square hiked the rent up to a price they defo couldnt afford to get them out, say the same happened with Zavvi

Er, the entire Zavvi chain accross the UK and Ireland went into liquidation. Nothing to do with the Square.

There was issue with the name as there's an Odeon bar but the truth was probably closer to the fact that no one wanted to invest in it ie. the owners.

You're probably right re the latter. The former may be tied up to when Ward Anderson took over Odeon's assets in Ireland in the early 1980s.

EEL seem to be milking the cross-promotion opportunities of the UCI cinemas for all its worth, I see Leisureplex and TFI Friday adverts every time I am there.