Cinema light is snuffed out

For the first time in three years, a prominent Dublin venue makes no appearance in the listings pages of today’s Ticket. As most serious film fans will be aware, the Light House cinema, saddled with outstanding rent payments of €156,856, closed last Friday following the granting of a winding-up order lodged by John Flynn, the venue’s landlord.

The future remains uncertain. Flynn has said that two cinema operators have approached him with an interest in running the space, and the planning permission does dictate that the building be used for cultural purposes. But, as Neil Connolly, the Light House’s co-manager, told this writer, the original contract makes it clear that the rent will remain an eye-watering €200,000.

That’s nobody’s idea of chump change.