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Ormonde 16OCT20
t’s the place where many a young Greystonian first got their first glimpse 
of glamour, glitz, and globetrotting, widescreen adventures.
It’s also the place where many a young Greystonian stole their first kiss.
And, if the Curly-Wurly worked its charms, copped their first feel.
The day Wacko took over
Yep, Greystones’ one and only bona fide cinema, The Ormonde was a true palace of dreams, where you could escape from the black and white world outside for two hours and go live in a technicolour wonderland.
And if you were lucky, you might get to sit near that hot ticket tearaway. From Nancy Fee to Mary Mitchell, from Caroline Molloy to Danny Hatton, they were all made even more gorgeous in the heady, flickering lights of Hollywood heavy petting.
When it closed its doors for the very last time on Thursday, July 26th, 2007, The Ormonde left the whole of Wicklow county without a single-screen cinema.
The multiplex had taken over, and the business of surviving on just one screen was proving too tough for many cinema owners.
The Bray Cineplex had closed just the month before, whilst The Abbey Cinema in Wicklow town had been gone five years earlier. Arklow’s own Alps Cinema had vanished years before that, whilst in Baltinglass, their cinema went dark in 1984, and Blessington hasn’t seen the flicker of a projector since the 1960s.
At the time of its closure, The Ormonde was known as The Screen By The Sea, and the very last film shown was Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix. Having been taken over by the Spurling family in 1978, the cinema first opened its doors, reckons Graham Spurling (who now co-owns Movies@Dundrum), during World War II. It was actually May 5th, 1947.
Made famous by its starring role in the Father Ted episode The Passion Of St. Tibulus, The Ormonde reportedly also turned up in the short-lived 2001 sitcom Custer’s Last Stand Up.
Another tragi-comic moment occurred in May 1970 when Bozo The Clown (actor Max King) did an incredible somersault from the stage, sparking a huge round of applause and uncontrollable laughter from the kids. Only Bozo had actually fallen six feet from the stage, landing on his head, an injury that later required seven stitches. Ever the professional though, Bozo had simply jumped back up onstage and finished his act.
Oh, and then there was the day that Michael Jackson rented it out so he could spend the entire afternoon there with his kids.
Back in April 2014, hearts around Greystones fair skipped a beat when they saw The Ormonde being returned to its former glory by a truckload of busy construction workers one afternoon [right], but it turned out just to be a quick facelift for a TV commercial.
Jaws on The Cove 16SEPT16
With the Greystones Outdoor Cinema Club and the free-membership Greystones Film Club in The Whale proving that there are more than enough people in this little town of ours who still like a night out in front of a big screen, there’s light in the old projector yet…
In the meantime, share your memories of The Ormonde below. And if you’re over 10 years of age, it might be worth checking to see if you were conceived in the back row…
The building of The Ormonde 1947. Colourised by GG.
St Patrick’s School get an Ormonde matinee 1968. Colourised by GG.
Ormonde Cinema interior. Pic Gerry Sandford
Ormonde Programme 1968. Source: Shona Murphy
Ormonde by Gary Acheson
Ormonde by James Mongey
Ormonde by nivnivrin
Here come the shops…
A second act…
Craggy Island takes over…
Ormonde 1990s with Mr Bean
Shelter from the storm…
Cracks being to show…
27 comments
We miss our local cinemas..
Just watched the interview with Graham Spurling which brought back some memories about the Ormonde.
My Father, Edward Somers worked as a plasterer during its construction in 1947. I would have been six and I recall going into the building and upstairs watched him ‘floating’ the tiered steps. Smooth work!
Also on one occasion after watching him I went with Andy Canna to the dump up the North Beach area to do some rummaging. Our mothers did not know where we were resulting in people out searching for us. I don’t know if we were found or just made our own way home, but I do remember the scolding I received.
I attended many, many movies there over the years, and especially the first Superman/comic book hero movie ever made, back in 1951. Superman and the Mole Men, 58 minutes, black and white.
I don’t recall Graham Spurling, or if his father was a builder named John?
Graham said he played soccer for Greystones and he was probably the only Protestant to do so. Not so. I did too on a couple of occasions. Not always to the delight of my father when playing on Sunday.
My favourite cinema, nearly 30 years ago, sitting in the back row with Caroline, a fantastic adventure, a fabulous romance, the story too short, the ending too soon, a final curtain call on a cherished chapter 🙂
I was over from England for a fortnights holiday with a group from my secondary school in 1964, I remember, as if it was yesterday, going to the Ormonde to see the Bond film ‘From Russia with love’ and the following week ‘ Billy Liar’. Great times.
Hey Paul.
Is there actually something happening with this Cinema?
Who owns it ?
Are they selling it or leasing it or wha?
Im interested for a number of reasons.
THanks a mill
It would cost a ferocious amount of money, we’re told, to get the cinema back up and running. And given that you’d need to make it free, with free treats, and a lift there and home, to get most Greystonians out of their homes after 6pm, it’s not altogether a given that you’d ever make that money back.
People have lost the will to go out at night around here, and it’s going to take something special to motivate them once again. Something special like the soon-to-be-unleashed new theatre, which will also be hosting special film nights…
That said, if you have a million going spare, you should look into bringing the Ormonde back from the dead…
Bring the cinema back!! We need it we’d all go all the time!!
From LESLEY CREGG…
Saturday morning cinema club!! Had to sneak our sweets in.
From HEATHER PLACE…
I think Summer Holiday 1963 was the first film I may have seen there oh the memories !
From COLLEEN ANDERSON…
The matron of the children’s home out of which I emerged ( and kept getting dragged back to) called it a den of iniquity and full of sinners. Thoughts anyone?
From the man they call BAZALICIOUS DUNNE…
Careful now… my uncle Peter took me here to see Batman when I think I was 9. I live in Galway now but constantly tell everyone I was brought up 50 feet from the father Ted cinema.. in 4 arch villas
From BARBARA O’CONNOR DALY…
My memory of the Ormonde cinema was when I was in St Davids they brought us to Grease when it came out first what a great movie
From the young HOGAN lad…
Used to sneak up the Fire escape when I was too young to see the movie that would have been shown (Butcher Boy and Angelas Ashes to name a couple).. Once the movie started I would sneak on up and under the projector window down to whatever vacant seats were there! whoever did the reels used to leave it ajar for smoke breaks!
From RODERICK CARLYLE…
I remember a family visit to the cinema in 1966, it is part of TV history as the entrance was used in Father Ted, it would be great if it reopened,
From WILLIE O’HAGAN…
What a spot as a kid growing up in the stones, especially liked the double seats
From PAUL ROCHE…
That’s where I lost my virginity ….. not sure I should name the first one here but anyway ….. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
I was there a few times in the mid ’90 before it close down. It’s more like a sitting room than I cinema. I think my child’s first time at the movies was possibly there.
I could have been there to see Lady and the Tramp off that programme! Darby O’Gill and the Little People’s banshee frightened the shit out o me!!
My very 1st movie was Benji the dog and it was the debut movie don’t remember the year in the 70s years of enjoyment followed
Aoife Dunne: hey, sinead kelly – spongebob square pants and the candy floss in the plastic tub
Sinead Kelly: Ideal Friday night!
Paul, this is fantastic news… Everyone is delighted…. it’s exactly what we need and will love!
Can we show the movie THE HOLIDAY over CHRISTMAS!!!
Never.
Magaret Fitzsimons: My mother worked there selling icecream and fags – met my father there and that’s where the magic began!
Margaret Cahill… Mr Salmon we were always in trouble with him and Danny Hatton the Sunday Matinee
Sharon Pickering: Seeing my very first cinema film in 1979 to see Grease, going into Flynns to buy my fizzle sticks ! and hiding bringing them into the cinema, the most stunning and Glamorous Mrs Spurling ! and when they introduced the Double seats at the back!!! – Going to Nightmare on Elm street when I was 15 and having to sleep in my parents bed as I was so so scared !! great memories!
Joanne Perse: My first cinema date was with my brother Chris Corcoran we saw back t d future