Image Credit: Cinema Treasures
Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness bought the site in late 2024. Cinema Treasures, an archive documenting movie theatres, records that the original building was destroyed by fire in 1921 and rebuilt. A second fire damaged the venue in 1938, leading to another reconstruction. The Phoenix’s official website announced the planning approval on 4 August 2026.
The couple announced their intention to refurbish the building and reopen its doors, with McGuinness describing a desire to expand its creative possibilities and restore its place in Dingle’s cultural life. The website also confirmed that the team had submitted an application to the Rural Regeneration Development Fund, with Kerry County Council acting as its lead partner. The Irish Times reported that appeals had been lodged against the Phoenix redevelopment plans, with a decision then pending. The Journal’s August report subsequently confirmed that planning permission had been granted despite objections concerning the development’s scale, parking, access and proposed mix of uses.
That history helped shape their decision to buy the property after it had been on the market for three years. Image Credit: The Journal The cinema’s history includes repeated damage and rebuilding. The rebuilding helped shape the cinema that became a familiar feature of Dingle. The Independent reports that the venue gained its distinctive art deco facade, phoenix floor mosaic and name during its history. Its location in the town centre also made it an accessible gathering place for residents and visitors. Murphy, McGuinness and the project team described the centre as a place where the community could gather, create and celebrate the area’s culture and heritage. The application represents a further step towards the next phase of development, although planning permission alone does not mean the renovation has been completed. An artist’s rendering of the proposed cinema. Image Credit: Clancy Moore Architects/The Journal The project arrives at a time when independent cinemas face pressure from changing viewing habits, streaming services and operating costs. The restored Phoenix could offer Dingle more than a return to its former screening schedule. Its combination of cinema, performance and exhibition spaces is intended to provide a home for different forms of local creativity and give artists opportunities to work and present their projects. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
Cillian Murphy and his wife, artist Yvonne McGuinness, bought the historic Phoenix Cinema in Dingle, County Kerry, in 2024, hoping to bring the long-standing venue back to life. The venue opened in 1919 and was built by brothers Jimmy and Johnny Houlihan, according to The Independent. In comments reported by The Independent and Sky News in November 2024, he explained that he had watched films there during summer holidays as a young boy. Sky News reported in November 2024 that the Phoenix was the only cinema serving the Dingle Peninsula, with the nearest alternative for local residents in Tralee, almost 30 miles away.
The cinema holds a personal connection for the Oscar-winning actor, who visited it during childhood holidays and later watched films there with his own children. After years of closure, the building could once again serve local audiences, with plans to restore its place in the town’s cultural life. The project also reflects the wider challenge of keeping traditional cinemas open. The Phoenix Cinema has been part of Dingle’s history for more than a century. Over the years, it served not only as a cinema but also as a dance hall and a venue for concerts and other events. For Murphy, the building was more than an old picture house. His father had also attended screenings at the cinema when he was younger, creating a connection between generations of the family. Murphy and McGuinness later brought their own children to watch films there. The Phoenix was used for several kinds of entertainment. As well as screening films, it hosted concerts, dances and the Dingle International Film Festival. The Independent also notes that it showed independent and foreign-language films and held a regular Tuesday night film club. Its closure left a gap beyond the loss of a place to watch films.
The cinema closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The doors finally shut in November 2021, ending a long period of operation. In August 2026, The Journal reported that An Coimisiun Pleanala had granted planning permission for the redevelopment, following an earlier approval from Kerry County Council and appeals by local residents.
Its previous owners faced rising costs, falling attendance and difficult conditions for screening films, according to Sky News. The proposed facilities include a multidisciplinary performance space, exhibition and rehearsal areas, artist studios, a cafe, a bar, a restaurant and a redesigned courtyard, according to The Journal. The plans for the building have since moved beyond restoring a traditional cinema. The approved project will retain the cinema while expanding the site into a wider arts and cultural centre.