Galway's first purpose-built arthouse cinema, Pálás, will finally open its doors to the public this weekend, more than a decade after its inception, following a protracted and at times controversial path to completion.
Opening date announcement! Pálás will open this Friday Feb 23rd with evening and night screenings of #LadyBird, #TheShapeOfWater & #ITonya! Tickets for all screenings will be available to purchase from tomorrow.
— Pálás Galway (@PalasGalway) February 19, 2018
#PalasGalway #Palas pic.twitter.com/spMfgNdS34
Built on a site donated by Galway City Council, the €9.5 project, originally called Picture Palace and initiated by Solas-Galway Picture Palace Teo in 2004, has been plagued by a number of financial difficulties, delays and resulting cost overruns, amongst them receivership and the liquidation of the initial contractor. The troubled history of the project was the subject of an RTÉ Prime Time investigation in 2017.
In 2016, the council agreed a 30-year lease with Irish production, distribution and exhibition company Element Pictures, who also manage the popular Light House Cinema in Dublin, to take over as operator of the venue. Despite the Charities Regulator issuing a caution to Solas about the transfer, which gave a private company control of a building financed primarily by public funds, Element took over the project 18 months ago, with an initial investment on its part of €850,000.
The three-screen cinema, designed by architect Tom de Paor and incorporating 24 stained-glass windows by artist Patrick Scott, is located on Merchants Road in Galway's city centre; the opening weekend programme features a trio of 2018 Oscar hot tickets, The Shape Of Water, I Tonya and Lady Bird, starring Saoirse Ronan.
