Carlton Cinema

Carlton Cinema was a movie theater on O'Connell Street built in 1938 with an Art Deco design featuring clean lines and musical instrument decorations throughout. The building originally held 2,000 seats that were later divided into four separate screening rooms.

The cinema opened in 1938 and operated continuously as a venue for films and live performances by artists such as Duke Ellington and Johnny Cash. It closed in 1994 and was later acquired through compulsory purchase by Dublin City Council in 2003.

The cinema became known for screening horror films and hosted the European premiere of Rock Around the Clock in 1956. It drew audiences interested in exploring these new types of movies.

The location sits on O'Connell Street, one of Dublin's main thoroughfares, making it easy to find. The upper floors remain closed to the public, but the ground floor maintains active commercial use.

The ground floor now houses Dr Quirkey's Goodtime Emporium, while the upper floors have remained vacant since the compulsory purchase in 2003. This unexpected transformation shows how historic buildings adapt within the city.

Location: Dublin

Capacity: 2000

Address: 52-54 Upper O'Connell Street, Dublin 1

GPS coordinates: 53.35097,-6.26119

Latest update: December 14, 2025 09:46