Galway Picture Palace

According to The Galway Advertiser Galway will get a new arthouse cinema, called the Galway Picture Palace, within two years.

At last week's city council meeting a group called Solas, which represents the Galway Film Society, the Galway Film Fleadh, the Galway Film Centre, and the Galway Arts Centre, made a presentation regarding the project.

The group called for a four storey arthouse cinema to be built on Lower Merchants Road in Galway. The ground floor will have a box office, café, book shop, DVD store, and garden area. The first floor will have a 160 seat cinema and the second floor will have a 90 seat cinema. The top floor will have a bar/ restaurant with a 'terrace effect'.

The Galway City Council will buy the proposed site for the cinema for €1.8 million. A loan will be taken to pay for this and it will be repaid over five years from development contributions. The council will give the cinema to Solas on a long lease for a nominal fee. The cinema should be open to the public with the next year/two years.