Palace Cinema, Dublin

On 13 May 1920, the Palace Cinema opened on Great Brunswick (now Pearse) Street, Dublin, in a refurbishment of the building previously well known to Dubliners as the Antient Concert Rooms.

J.J. Eppel, one of a number of Jewish business men operating Dublin cinemas at the time, was the proprietor of the Palace, and the Eppel family remained involved in its management until the 1950s. The Palace’s proximity to Westland Row station was seen as benefiting from the trade of passengers awaiting trains or travelling into town for entertainment, like the Phoenix Picture Palace on Ellis Quay’s proximity to Kingsbridge (now Heuston) station, the Dorset Picture Hall’s proximity to Broadstone station and the Electric Theatre on Talbot Street’s proximity to Amien Street (now Connolly) station.

Until the end of the 1920s, film were silent and accompanied by music played live in the cinema. The Palace had a small orchestra led by cellist John Mundy, and featuring Victor Love on piano and Miss Lucas on violin. The opening film were Sporting Life by French-born director Maurice Tourneur and A Day’s Pleasure by Charlie Chaplin. The cinema continued to operated as a cinema under several changes of ownership and name until the 1980s. The site is now occupied by an office building.