Cillian Murphy and his wife Yvonne McGuinness have announced the purchase of the famous Phoenix Cinema in Co Kerry.
This comes amid weeks of speculation that the couple were interested in buying the cinema, with plans to expand the “creative potential” of the site.
Located in the heart of the seaside town, Daingean Uí Chúis, the cinema had been previously closed down during the pandemic, before being put up for sale.
This led to fans growing increasingly concerned that the cinema would be purchased by property developers, with a community-led campaign to “save the Phoenix”.
“what the cinema means”
For Murphy, the Phoenix Cinema certainly carries a lot of sentimental value, with his parents having forged such strong connections with the local community over the years.
The Oscar winning actor is certainly well known in the west Kerry Gaeltacht, where he has a house and spends a lot of his time there when he is away from stage and screen commitments.
The Oscar winning actor said this in a statement: “I’ve been going to see films at The Phoenix since I was a young boy on summer holidays”.
“My Dad saw movies there when he was a young man before me, and we’ve watched many films at The Phoenix with our own kids. We recognise what the cinema means to Dingle”.
Murphy and McGuinness have said that renovations on the premises will begin next year.
The Phoenix Cinema which was originally built in 1919, went on to become a popular venue for showbands in the 1950s and 1960s under the Moore family’s ownership.
This venue has also hosted household names including the late rocker Rory Gallagher and Dana, with the latter performing there shortly after her Eurovision triumph in 1970.
The film also showed the movie ‘Ryan’s Daughter’ starring Sarah Miles and Robert Mitchum, featuring several scenes films along the Dingle peninsula.
In other news, Cillian Murphy will reprise his role as gangers Tommy Shelby for the upcoming Peaky Blinders spin off movie. More on this from Nova here.
