Ireland’s Galway City Council has put the call out for an operator for key Galway Film Fleadh venue, Pálás Cinema, following its closure in February.
The three-screen Pálás Cinema, previously part of Element Pictures’ Light House Cinema Group, attributed rising costs, Covid and “oversaturation” of commercial cinemas as factors in its closure.
The building is already confirmed to re-open as a cinema for the duration of the Fleadh in July.
Galway City Council owns the site and confirmed it will be offered on a long-term lease, at no cost, to one operator. Element Pictures had a similar arrangement with the council, involving a long term lease of a nominal €1 per annum. No other financial support will be provided to the operator by the council.
The council has made several suggestions as to how the building could be used: as a cultural space featuring one operational cinema with other areas repurposed for community and cultural use; re-purposing the property to become more tourism focused; or re-configurating the property to operate as a mix of commercial space, generating annual rents, with allocation of space for community use.
Galway’s cinema offering now comprises three multiplexes: the nine-screen Eye Cinema, the 10-screen IMC Galway, and a 10-screen Omniplex in Salthill.
“This opportunity is a unique prospect for an operator to make a sustainable positive impact on the cultural identity of Galway city by developing a unique attraction for this iconic building,” said Leonard Cleary, chief executive of Galway City Council.
“We encourage submissions that can creatively bring this building back into use and add to the diverse cultural identity of the city.”
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