We could have 3 cinemas in Dundalk?

10green bottles

We could have 3 cinemas in Dundalk?
An Bord Pleanala have granted planning permission for yet another cinema in Dundalk!
We already have the IMC in the Carroll Vilage,planning permission for a cinema at the retail park and now more planning permission for ANOTHER cinema at the Marshes SC.
The IMC group argued in objection to both other cinemas being developed that cinema attendances have fallen by up to 11% in recent years.Is this true?I was told that cinema attendances had risen!?

Personally i'd like to see the IMC at the Carroll Village continue as it's in the town center and i believe it help's other businesses because of it's location.

Opinions please.
What are the out of town cinemas offering?

Linked - http://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/news/local-news/an-bord-pheanala-give-go-ahead-for-seven-screen-cinema-1-6116732

Thetruthking

the marshes would be a good spot for one from a business point of view!! I like the one in carol village myself and personally think that one is enough for the town

CarrickMcJoe

Years ago you had the Casino, Magnet and Adelphi and look what happened them. 2/3 cinemas is too many.

10green bottles

C McJoe,there was no Netflix,DVD'S ,YouTube around in them days.
I cinema with 6 screens is enough i reckon.Or do people think we need more.Is more good and is more viable ?

tenifan

10green bottles wrote: »

C McJoe,there was no Netflix,DVD'S ,YouTube around in them days.
I cinema with 6 screens is enough i reckon.Or do people think we need more.Is more good and is more viable ?

Sorry for IMC Dundalk, but some of their screens are too small & they have a dispute with one distributor so don't get some films in. Plus it's a bit isolated. I wouldn't mind a better cinema.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

CarrickMcJoe wrote: »

Years ago you had the Casino, Magnet and Adelphi and look what happened them. 2/3 cinemas is too many.

If you want to look at it in a historical context: We had the Adelphi, Magnet, Oriel, Park St, and St Nicholas's Hall cinemas at one time too but where are they now? It's irrelevant to today.

Can the town support 3 cinemas? I very much doubt it.

hallo dare

If the money was put towards the current Cinema to revamp and a good safe carpark it would be better. Parking is brutal at the moment.

doncarlos

We will have three average cinemas. Would be great to get something like Cineworld in Dublin. Big cinema with bar, IMAX, proper screens etc.

MugMugs

I really don't bother with the imc.

Parking is a joke and I don't feel happy leaving my car there anyway.

Variety is restricted

It's not a very nice place to be either
I don't find it comfortable at all at all at all.

So I go to Newry

10green bottles

I have to say that when i go to the cinema @ the IMC i have the good fortune tto be able to do so on foot so i didnt know that parking was a problem in that area.Surely the carpark on the supermarket side should be opened and supervised for the hours that the cinema is open,it belongs to Carroll Village dosn't it? whilst the other carpark is owned by the council? Correct me if wrong.
Are Carroll Village landlords to the IMC ?

CarrickMcJoe

Luciano Steep Sandwich wrote: »

If you want to look at it in a historical context: We had the Adelphi, Magnet, Oriel, Park St, and St Nicholas's Hall cinemas at one time too but where are they now? It's irrelevant to today.

.

That would be way, way before my time.

Can't see the cinemas in the Marshes being a decent size though. Cars would be safe if the 'new neighbours' are shifted by then.

KeithM89

The IMC is dung. Its flithy, seats are worn badly and that woman manager is ehhh.....
We always head up to the far superior omniplex in Newry now. A new one at the marshes would be great. 3 would be overkill however.

TireeTerror

MugMugs wrote: »

I really don't bother with the imc.

Parking is a joke and I don't feel happy leaving my car there anyway.

Variety is restricted

It's not a very nice place to be either
I don't find it comfortable at all at all at all.

So I go to Newry

I head to Newry for pretty much everything, its much better there and its a good excuse to go shopping as they have a much bigger range of goods in the Tesco's and alcohol is way cheaper, especially spirits. I never buy alcohol in the ROI anymore, its a complete rip off.

doncarlos

TireeTerror wrote: »

I head to Newry for pretty much everything, its much better there and its a good excuse to go shopping as they have a much bigger range of goods in the Tesco's and alcohol is way cheaper, especially spirits. I never buy alcohol in the ROI anymore, its a complete rip off.

When the new super Tesco opens in Dundalk will this change your mind? When you factor in cost of petrol and travel time surely the savings can't be that much?

TireeTerror

doncarlos wrote: »

When the new super Tesco opens in Dundalk will this change your mind? When you factor in cost of petrol and travel time surely the savings can't be that much?

Its only 2km more to travel to Newry than it is to head to Dundalk, so the fuel costs make little difference. Its also unlikely that the ROI Tesco will be 24 hour as they stopped nearly every 24 Tesco in the country recently. In NI Asda and Tesco are still 24 hour from Monday to Saturday, only Sat and Sunday night are not 24 hour. For me that is a big thing as I often just head out later at night for shopping.

As I said before, if buying alcohol, I would NEVER shop in the Republic, its outrageous the difference. As an example 1 litre bottle of Smirnoff Vodka in Tesco ROI costs €32 and the same bottle in Tesco UK is €23.80 and that is me using the same conversion rate that the Bank Of Ireland charge me when using my debit card in the north. That price difference is not special offers or anything, that is just the general day to day difference which means I would be crazy to spend my money at Tesco ROI. Not to mention they have a much larger product range, because they have all the usual Irish stuff, but they also have a load more UK food there which is usually subject to discount which they are not subject to in the ROI stores.

An Bord Pleanala would be negligent to allow 2 new cinemas to be built in quick succession in my opinion.

LovexxLife

I think another cinema wouldnt be a bad idea help competition and keep the ticket prices down, noticed the cinema tickets going up a bit in the IMC maybe if there was a rival company they might keep the prices down.

I think 3 would be too many though.

M.A.G

TireeTerror wrote: »

I head to Newry for pretty much everything, its much better there and its a good excuse to go shopping as they have a much bigger range of goods in the Tesco's and alcohol is way cheaper, especially spirits. I never buy alcohol in the ROI anymore, its a complete rip off.

You're one of few heading to Newry now,its basically a ghost town.The days of getting bargains there is long gone. I find there's far better deals to be had on a local level. Cinema is just ok too.....

spawinte

Where exactly will they find the space to put a cinema into the Marshes? Is it being built alongside or going into the existing structure?

If you want a cinema to serve the whole region then you could put an absolutely massive one into the big empty JJB / Icedome complex.

tenifan

M.A.G wrote: »

You're one of few heading to Newry now,its basically a ghost town.The days of getting bargains there is long gone. I find there's far better deals to be had on a local level. Cinema is just ok too.....

I agree. Jack & Jones is cheaper in Dundalk. I bought a camera in Argos the other day which worked out cheaper in Dundalk too. I usually buy booze in Tesco (dundalk), costcutter on clanbrassil street, or one of the off licenses on the border (no point driving to newry).

Sometimes I take a spin to newry but I wouldn't go there specifically to pick up bargains as there's not a lot to be found.

Royal Irish

Planning permission for the new cinema at the Marshes which would have been built at the back of Dunnes Store with its entrance through the upstairs food hall has been refused and permission has been granted for the new one at the retail part at Harvey Normans previous location.

Personally I would have much preferred the one at the marshes.

spawinte

The back of Dunnes?? I just looked at satellite view on Google Maps and I didn't even realise there was still some land to develop there. I imagine they'll just put in another flagship store now?

Anybody know which cinema operator will be running the one going in at the retail park?

rogieop

MugMugs wrote: »

I really don't bother with the imc.

Parking is a joke and I don't feel happy leaving my car there anyway.

Variety is restricted

It's not a very nice place to be either
I don't find it comfortable at all at all at all.

So I go to Newry

so do i.

reclining seats :cool:

TireeTerror

M.A.G wrote: »

You're one of few heading to Newry now,its basically a ghost town.The days of getting bargains there is long gone. I find there's far better deals to be had on a local level. Cinema is just ok too.....

Really, where are you getting cheaper alcohol? There are a good number of things cheaper in ROI, but typically most things are more expensive. Thats not my opinion, its just a fact and its certainly no ghost town, especially at the weekends.

10green bottles

Beer is cheaper in the ROI.Spirits i honestly don't know about as i don't imbibe but small %'s involved in difference of price i hear,cheaper in NI negated when you take away the cost of travel etc.

Staying on the cinema theme;
prices in ROI v NI ? How do's that work out? Which is cheaper? Popcorn price...

not1but4

Royal Irish wrote: »

Planning permission for the new cinema at the Marshes which would have been built at the back of Dunnes Store with its entrance through the upstairs food hall has been refused and permission has been granted for the new one at the retail part at Harvey Normans previous location.

Personally I would have much preferred the one at the marshes.

spawinte wrote: »

The back of Dunnes?? I just looked at satellite view on Google Maps and I didn't even realise there was still some land to develop there. I imagine they'll just put in another flagship store now?

Anybody know which cinema operator will be running the one going in at the retail park?

I am pretty sure they own Shamrock Print & Packaging factory and that is where their Cinema would go and not beside Dunnes. As I can remember reading that they would move Marshes Avenue road about 100 meters.

I'll try and dig out the planning details later on.

ongarboy

According to An Bord Pleanala website, they have not granted permission to Marshes SC yet. It has just gone to them after Dundalk or Louth Council granted permission and Dundalk Multiplex objected and took it to Bord Pleanala. Decision due in October.

http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/243499.htm

An Bord Pleanala doesn't base decisions on competitiveness or threats to existing individual businesses (...in theory) but rather how developments enhance amenities and character to the area, that they don't undermine the viability of the overall area, how they look visually and to ensure they don't create hazards or congestion (plenty of other criteria determine their decisions also).

Imo, 6 screens seems a bit small for a town of almost 40k people plus it's rural catchment but if Newry or Drogheda are nearby alternatives, maybe that's the reason. If the existing cinema is as dingy as people say it is, then they need to upgrade as punters won't accept anything less then ultra modern cinema experiences these days.

tenifan

ongarboy wrote: »

According to An Bord Pleanala website, they have not granted permission to Marshes SC yet. It has just gone to them after Dundalk or Louth Council granted permission and Dundalk Multiplex objected and took it to Bord Pleanala. Decision due in October.

http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/243499.htm

An Bord Pleanala doesn't base decisions on competitiveness or threats to existing individual businesses (...in theory) but rather how developments enhance amenities and character to the area, that they don't undermine the viability of the overall area, how they look visually and to ensure they don't create hazards or congestion (plenty of other criteria determine their decisions also).

Imo, 6 screens seems a bit small for a town of almost 40k people plus it's rural catchment but if Newry or Drogheda are nearby alternatives, maybe that's the reason. If the existing cinema is as dingy as people say it is, then they need to upgrade as punters won't accept anything less then ultra modern cinema experiences these days.

Good point. One of the screens (4 or 5) has a horrible spatter across it this years.

Regarding management.. they could use someone else to brighten the place up a bit. Perhaps someone a bit more motivated or fun. The management they have at the moment are overly concerned about emptying the bins every 5 minutes and polishing around the poster frames no one even touches. Dull isn't the word.

In fairness, the cinema isn't *that* bad. But it could be a lot better.

Roddylarge

The cinema in Dundalk is shockingly bad, Its expensive, dirty and uncomfortable.

Im actually glad that there is going to be some competition, the same thing happened in Derry a few years ago. We had one cinema and because there was no competition they didn't care.

Then they built a fantastic modern cinema, with leather reclining seats, all the latest movies, midnight premiers etc etc and guess what? nobody goes to the old one anymore.

Despite saying that, I personally don't think that Dundalk needs 3 cinemas.

M.A.G

TireeTerror wrote: »

Really, where are you getting cheaper alcohol? There are a good number of things cheaper in ROI, but typically most things are more expensive. Thats not my opinion, its just a fact and its certainly no ghost town, especially at the weekends.

I work with 4 people who live in Newry and i'm only going on what they say.I personally don't shop in the north,as i think its cheaper and more convenient to shop local.As for alcohol,as someone else said Tesco and costcutter are great for beer/wine deals.Spirits might be a better deal up there.
I think dubliners are keeping Newry afloat,they seem to like shopping in it and the Newry people are all shopping in Dundalk and Drogheda!!

not1but4

not1but4 wrote: »

I'll try and dig out the planning details later on.

Okay a bit further lower than I remembered but anyway.



Personally I would like them match that Victorian theme they have going.


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