The Tivoli Theatre was a theatre on Francis Street in The Liberties, Dublin which opened in 1934 and operated until 2019, when it was demolished and replaced by apartments and a hotel.[1]
History
The theatre opened on 21 December 1934 as a replacement for an earlier Tivoli Theatre located on Burgh Quay, which had closed in May 1928.[2] Built to the designs of architect Vincent Kelly with seating provided for 700.[3] The Tivoli Theatre opened as a cine-variety theatre, but by the late-1930s it had converted to full-time cinema use and was renamed Tivoli Cinema.[3]
The Tivoli Cinema was closed in September 1964 following a fire.[3][4] It remained derelict for several years until purchased by former footballer Anthony "Tony" Byrne, who converted the cinema into a theatre and music venue at a cost of roughly £250,000.[5] Byrne placed a theatre on the first floor with 560 seats and a music venue on the ground floor with a capacity for 1,000 people (standing).[4] Following this refurnishment, the venue reopened in 1987 and was renamed Tivoli Theatre.[3][4] At the time of closing, the upper theatre could seat 475, and the lower venue was in operation as a nightclub called "District 8".[4]
The walls of the car park had become a noted street art location and the planning permission to demolish the theatre required the extant art to be photographed and documented before demolition.[6]
The theatre was demolished and replaced by apartments and a hotel in early 2019. One of the conditions for planning permission set by Dublin City Council was that the premise would retain a "performance and exhibition space" where entertainers and artists could continue to perform.[5] However, after the new site's construction, news media in 2023 reported that the area was used for little more than storage space.[7][8]
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